


The Way Things Are (Side Stories)

by Aini



Series: TWTA [2]
Category: Naruto
Genre: 2008 old, M/M, Old Writing, reposting an old work, side stories to The Way Things Are
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-04-23
Updated: 2018-02-01
Packaged: 2019-03-11 08:47:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 44,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13520742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aini/pseuds/Aini
Summary: A collection of side stories that I wrote after I'd finished The Way Things Are. These stories happen during and after the plot of TWTA. These are old (I wrote them almost ten years ago) so please keep that in mind as you read them.I do not own Naruto or anything affiliated with it. I'm just here to share my bunnies.





	1. Side Story 1 (Sasuke/Naruto)

**Author's Note:**

> This story ties in with chapter 7 of TWTA, for those of you who are curious. Enjoy!

It had been two years since he had come back to Konoha. One and a half years of the worst kind of punishment that any man could have ever been given. Never, in his entire life, had Sasuke thought that being in charge of a bunch of pre-teen kids would be worse than fighting his brother. He frowned at the thought of the other and moved back on track with his thought process. Before his punishment had been over, he had gotten together with that idiotic blonde.

Sasuke smirked. If there was one person who could get on his nerves faster than any shuriken and yet be able to bring complete and utter peace to his torn soul, it was Naruto. Other than Sakura, the blonde had been the only person really happy to see him return. Oh, there were those who were indifferent about his return, but a good majority of the village had seemed almost…angry that he had been allowed to return. And all because he was a Uchiha.

Frowning, Sasuke looked towards the window near him. There was still quite a bit of time before the sun would come up. Sighing softly, he closed his eyes. He wasn’t proud to be a Uchiha anymore. He wasn’t even sure he wanted to revive the clan anymore. Sure, he could control it at first, and there would be no crimes within his family. But what would happen further down the line? Would something happen similar to what Itachi had done to him? He wasn’t sure he could bear to make someone else go through the agony and pain he had.

A shifting of warmth next to him broke his concentration and he gave a small smile as he turned his head. Naruto was definitely something called a cuddle bug. The blonde loved that kind of thing. As soon as the two of them were alone, he would snuggle up to his side and give Sasuke those ungodly puppy dog eyes until the dark-haired shinobi would either wrap an arm around him or walk away, more often then not the latter. Of course, Naruto would chase after him and pout until he got what he wanted.

Sasuke chuckled softly as he pulled the other closer to him. Naruto gave a soft hum of approval before he unconsciously snuggled closer. Slowly, the Uchiha ran his fingers through the blonde’s hair, staring down at the person who had always been at his side and had never doubted him. The only person who was willing to go through life and death to keep him alive and safe. The only person Sasuke had ever felt was truly a part of his family. Naruto was just special.

He continued to lay there, stroking Naruto’s hair as the sun came peaking into their room. Sasuke had moved back into the Uchiha compound as soon as he was able to, cleaning up as much of it as he could. Naruto would sneak into the compound every night to sleep with him as Sasuke was still under a house arrest of sorts. He really owed the blonde a lot. He wouldn’t ever be able to vocally express his thanks to the other.

“Urgh…Sasuke, turn off the damn light,” Naruto mumbled, burying his face into Sasuke’s pale flesh as the rays of the sun fell onto his face.

Sasuke smirked. “Dobe. As if I could turn off the sun.”

Naruto let out a soft sigh and slowly brought his eyes up to meet Sasuke’s onyx black ones. They were so blue. Sasuke would always get sucked into those blue pools, often drowning in them of which there was almost more often than not no return. That is until Naruto would blink and then he’d be saved again. Almost tenderly, Sasuke ran the back of his fingers against the blonde’s cheek, thumb running over the skin of Naruto’s cheekbone.

“Good morning, sunshine,” Sasuke whispered, pressing a kiss to Naruto’s forehead.

“Mmm, good morning to you too,” Naruto hummed, smiling at the kiss. “Did you miss me?”

“Always,” Sasuke grinned.

Naruto snickered. “You are terribly romantic sometimes, teme.”

“Only around you, usuratonkachi,” Sasuke smirked.

Naruto snorted. “That, on the other hand, was uncalled for.” He stuck out his bottom lip and turned to face the other completely, pouting.

Sasuke’s smirk grew and he leaned down, pressing his lips softly against Naruto’s pouting ones. The blonde hummed happily and pressed back, his arms reaching upwards to wrap around Sasuke’s neck while the dark-haired male wrapped his own arms around the younger shinobi’s waist. He pulled Naruto’s body up on top of his own, the blonde’s legs straddling his waist. Naruto moaned when a tongue was added to their kiss, opening his mouth to let the muscle in further.

“As much as I’d love to get you aroused,” Sasuke panted, pulling back with a gasp, “you do need to make it back to your apartment before someone notices you’re here.”

Naruto groaned. “But Sa~suke~”

“No buts, Naruto,” Sasuke said. “You know it wouldn’t bode well with others if we got caught.”

Naruto sighed and sat up straight, getting off of the other. “Yeah, yeah.” With obvious disappointment and frustration, the blonde made his way to the other’s shower, closing the bathroom door firmly behind him. Sasuke let out a heavy sigh and closed his eyes, letting the back of his hand rest on his forehead. He hated doing that to the other, but if he didn’t…

Sasuke wanted to the blonde to become the Hokage, but without the support of his fellow shinobi, it was impossible. It was dangerous enough that the blonde was his friend, but he would never, ever, tell Naruto to stop being his friend. He wasn’t sure he could handle living life without someone like Naruto in it. If he didn’t have Naruto, who did he have? Sakura was a good friend, but nothing more. Naruto was everything Sasuke needed. Naruto was his _life_.

His attention was grabbed by a tap on his window and he frowned. Who was here this early in the morning? Grumbling, he grabbed a nearby set of boxers and made his way over to the window, lifting the blinds. He relaxed when he saw that it was merely a messenger bird. Slowly, he opened his window and took the scroll from the bird’s back, petting it and giving it some feed, before it flew away and he closed the window.

Taking the boxers back off, as they belonged to his blonde-haired lover, Sasuke settled back into the bed, opening the scroll in his hands, wondering what the Hokage would want from him this time. As his eyes read over the message he sat up straight slowly and reread the message. His eyes widened with surprise. Was this a joke? No, they wouldn’t joke about this, especially with him. He felt a grin twitching at the corner of his lips. It was almost too good to be true.

“Oi, Sasuke, your shampoo smells like a girl’s,” Naruto stated as he walked out in nothing but a towel, still slightly wet from the shower.

Usually, Sasuke would have come back with some witty retort, but he couldn’t think of anything to say. “Dobe, I have something I want you to read.”

Naruto groaned. “You’re kidding me. What is it?”

Sasuke tossed him the scroll, still grinning and waited for the explosion. Naruto gave him a funny look before he opened the scroll and started to reading. His eyes widened just as Sasuke’s had and he looked over at his lover. “Is this…real?”

“What do you think?” Sasuke smirked.

“You’re…really going to be…in the ANBU forces?” Naruto asked, a smile spreading across his face.

Sasuke nodded. “They accepted my application.”

Nothing could have prepared the Uchiha for the blonde blur that pounced excitedly on top of him. The force surprised him, forcing him back against the head board. Hissing, Sasuke grabbed the back of his head and leaned forward as tears began to prick at the corner of his eyes. He may have been a shinobi, but having the back of your head hit still hurt. Naruto immediately realized what had happened and the smile left his face.

“Sasuke! I-I’m sorry!” Naruto exclaimed, unsure of what he should do. “I didn’t mean to, I swear!”

“Shut up, baka,” Sasuke growled. “I know.”

Biting his bottom lip, Naruto wrapped his hand over Sasuke’s and started to massage the for sure bruising head. Sasuke grunted at first at the sting of pain, but relaxed under the ministrations as they made the ache turn into a dull throb. He sighed softly and wiped away the tears from his eyes, slightly frustrated that they had even showed up. Naruto leaned forward and placed a kiss over the tender spot, looking down at the other in concern.

“Does it feel any better?” Naruto asked softly.

“A little,” Sasuke sighed, shifting. “Thanks.”

Naruto smiled. “I’m really sorry though.”

Sasuke snorted. “Forget it.”

“But,” Naruto beamed, “you’re in the ANBU! Wow Sasuke! That means the village is beginning to trust you again!”

Sasuke snorted. As much as he wanted to believe it, he knew it wasn’t true. They had forced him to tell them that he obtained the other Sharingan abilities through Itachi, and that’s the only reason he was in ANBU now. And yet he hadn’t told Naruto he had the Mangekyou and didn’t plan on telling him anytime soon either. “No, they only let me in because I’m a Uchiha, Naruto.”

Naruto’s smile lessened. “Oh, be more optimistic for once, you pessimistic asshole.”

Sasuke rolled his eyes. “Right. Whatever.”

Naruto sighed and bounced on top of his lover. “We should celebrate.”

Sasuke had to bite his tongue to stop a moan that wanted to roll out of his mouth. He knew Naruto was doing that on purpose but wouldn’t let the other have the pleasure of knowing it had affected him. “We will celebrate, later. You have to get home, now.”

Naruto frowned. “Sasuke…shouldn’t we just tell everyone?”

Now it was Sasuke’s turn to frown. “Are you forgetting that pink-haired friend of ours?”

“Oh yeah,” Naruto muttered.

“On top of that, Naruto,” Sasuke said softly, sitting up completely and looking down at Naruto’s seal. His fingers brushed over the marking, eyes growing distant. “Those that know already hate you for this. I wonder what they would think if you were homosexual…and with the only living Uchiha for that matter. They’d call you selfish…and unworthy of being the next Hokage.”

Naruto sighed. They went through this so many times he was wondering if he was rehearsing for some dramatic play or something. “Sasuke, I don’t care what other’s think about my personal life. And I am selfish, baka. I’m keeping a beautiful, drop-dead sexy Uchiha all to myself. How is that not being selfish?”

Sasuke flushed slightly at the comment and glared at Naruto. He hated it when the other would do that. “Usuratonkachi.”

Naruto chuckled. “Well, because you want to get rid of me so badly, I’ll get dressed and leave. Where do you want to go for breakfast this morning? I’ll come ‘pick you up’.” He snickered at the thought as he bounced off the bed and grabbed his boxers. Which Sasuke had worn to answer the bird at his window. Sasuke’s blush got a littler redder at the thought before he too got up.

“I’m fine cooking breakfast for myself, Naruto,” the Uchiha answered. “How about we have lunch together instead.”

The blonde nodded and grinned. “Ramen?”

Sasuke smirked. “Yes, we can have ramen for lunch if you really want it.”

“Yay!” Naruto cheered, running over to his lover’s side. He pressed a quick peck to the Uchiha’s lips before he raced out the door, leaving Sasuke to simply shake his head and head to the shower. As the water sprayed over his body, Sasuke couldn’t help but grin. ANBU. He was finally in it. The only position higher than what he had obtained was ANBU captain and Hokage. He’d eventually get the first position, but he’d leave the Hokage to Naruto.

The Hokage was supposed to be the strongest man in the village. No doubt Naruto would easily fill that role. Despite the fact that Sasuke had beaten the other so many times, Naruto had definitely grown stronger. And that jutsu of his…the one based off of Rasengan…it was so deadly. Sasuke seriously and truly hoped that he would never be on the wrong end of that. To have tiny needles made of Naruto’s natural wind element pierce every cell in his body did not sound enjoyable.

Finishing his shower, Sasuke dressed and made his way down to the kitchen. He always had memories flood back when he would walk in here. His mother was at the counter, making some sort of meal, his father reading the newspaper while sipping at his coffee. Occasionally Itachi would be in the memory, his gentle smile welcoming Sasuke into the room, poking him in the forehead before the younger boy would sit down, chuckling when Sasuke would glare and grabbed where he had been poked.

Sighing softly, Sasuke made his way over to the fridge and pulled things out. He had killed Itachi. He shook his head. Actually, his older brother had killed himself. Itachi had been protecting him from Uchiha Madara. He frowned at the memory of the other man, the knife in his hand falling a little harder over the meat he was cutting. He continued to make his breakfast (which happened to be an omelet), memories of a kind, caring older brother running through his head.

 _What would you think now, Itachi?_ Sasuke thought to himself as he sat down at the table. _Now that I have been accepted into ANBU, would you still feel like you needed to protect me? Or would I finally be able to be at your level and eventually surpass you?_

Breakfast went by quickly and Sasuke spent the next hour meditating. He knew he didn’t come across as the type to believe in that kind of exercise, but after all of the trauma he had put himself through something like this was a good thing. It allowed him to clear his mind and to refresh it. Sitting down on the soft mat sitting across from the gardens, Sasuke had to smile. His home had still been treated with respect despite his disappearance. The gardens were as clean and beautiful as they had ever been, alive and breathtaking. Nothing like the Hyuuga gardens, but nonetheless pleasing to the eye.

Thinking of the Hyuugas brought to mind some of the rumors he had been hearing from Naruto. They weren’t straight from the horse’s mouth so to speak, but they were interesting nonetheless. He smirked at the story of Neji blowing up a tree. The thought of the Hyuuga losing his control like that was more than amusing, considering the verbal battles the two of them would have with each other when they did speak to each other, which hadn’t been and wasn’t often.

His meditation was broken when a puff of smoke in front of him alerted him of someone’s presence, his eyes watching as the stuff disappeared. He was slightly surprised to find the Copy nin visiting him. Kakashi hadn’t said much to him since his return and Sasuke couldn’t blame him. The other had told him not to get revenge, to avenge his clan in another way. Sasuke had blatantly and most rudely ignored the advice.

“Good morning, Kakashi-sensei,” Sasuke nodded, moving to get up.

“No need to get up, Sasuke,” Kakashi stated, his eye curving into that way that let the other know he was smiling. “I just haven’t seen you much since you’ve gotten back.”

Sasuke’s eyes lowered to the ground in front of him. “I haven’t been out much. People haven’t been very excited about my return and not…receiving proper punishment.”

Kakashi’s visible eye went to a more serious state and he moved to sit next to Sasuke. “As true as that may be, you’re not giving others much of a chance to change that opinion.”

“Do I deserve such a change in anyone’s opinion?” Sasuke asked softly. _Especially yours._

“You’re not twelve anymore, Sasuke,” Kakashi said seriously. “A lot of years have gone by since you left. You’re eighteen now, right? You’ve matured. Give people a chance to see that.”

Sasuke paused, staring out over nothing. Many years had passed since he had returned. Maybe…just maybe, there was some truth to Kakashi’s words. The silver-haired male was much wiser than he was. He wasn’t stupid enough to deny that anymore. Kakashi knew so much more than he did. Sighing softly, he took in a deep breath and let it out, his eyes falling shut in the process. “Thank you, Kakashi-sensei.”

“None of that,” Kakashi chuckled. “I really came here to congratulate you on your promotion to ANBU. That’s quite a jump, considering your age.”

Sasuke blushed slightly. “Naruto?”

Kakashi nodded, smirking underneath his mask. “I won’t tell. It’s not my place.”

“Thank you,” Sasuke replied softly. “I’m…trying to think of a way to let Sakura know and to not hurt Naruto’s reputation more.”

Kakashi chuckled. “You’ve become much more considerate, Sasuke. Don’t worry about what people think about Naruto. He’s tough and can handle anything thrown at him. And Sakura will handle the news better than you think she will.”

Sasuke thought about both momentarily before turning to face his former teacher. He opened his mouth to say something when he was suddenly tackled eyes going wide as he was pushed onto his back. How had he not noticed the other? That thought crossed through his mind as another pushed its way in. Naruto was straddling his waist.

“Ready for your congratulations lunch?” Naruto grinned, squeezing his thighs a bit.

Sasuke flushed. “Dobe! Get off!”

“It’s not like I haven’t seen this before, Sasuke,” Kakashi teased, successfully making the Uchiha go redder.

Sasuke glared at the Copy nin before he looked up at Naruto. “Get off or you can forget about lunch.”

Naruto wasted no time and was off the other in an instant, sitting on his knees and looking almost expectantly at Sasuke. The dark-haired male sat up, sighing softly and rubbing the back of his still tender head. The blonde grinned and turned to their former teacher, blue eyes sparkling. Sasuke shook his head and closed his eyes. He really needed to learn how Naruto could do that. Maybe he could live an easier life that way.

“You want to join us, Kakashi-sensei?” Naruto asked smiling.

“Nah,” Kakashi answered, shaking his head as he smirked. “I need to find Gai. He wants to give me another…challenge.” With a chuckle and a wave he disappeared, Naruto making gagging noises and Sasuke grimacing at the spot his teacher had been sitting on.

“Gross,” Naruto said, sticking out his tongue before he turned to Sasuke with a smile. “Ready?”

Sasuke nodded and the two made their way over to Ichiraku. The two sat down and ordered, the cook giving Sasuke a hesitant look before turning away. Sasuke shifted in his seat, not surprised by the man’s actions, but not very happy with it either. Fortunately, Naruto decided to bring up something for conversations sake, relieving Sasuke of his troubling thoughts. Sasuke mentally smiled. He really was grateful to have the blonde on his side.

They hadn’t been eating for more then ten minutes when Shikamaru and Neji showed up, Sasuke tensing slightly. He gave a brief nod in greeting before he went back to his ramen, eating quietly, eyeing the two from the corner of his eye. Shikamaru looked like he could care less about who his company was, not giving Sasuke the scathing look he had been receiving from most lately. Neji didn’t seem to be judging him either and it made him relax slightly.

“How are you doing, Sasuke?” The Uchiha’s eyes widened slightly as he turned to glance over at the Hyuuga.

“I’m doing well, thank you Neji,” he answered, watching as Neji sat down next to the Nara.

“Oh, Sasuke, did you hear about these two?” Naruto asked, as he turned back to his meal. “They’re going be fiancés!”

Sasuke would have choked had he been eating. His gaze snapped back to his lover. “What?”

The Hyuuga let out a soft sigh and Shikamaru shook his head before turning to the blonde. “Maybe you’d better expand on the situation, Naruto."

“Right, right,” Naruto chuckled, squinting his eyes and scratching the back of his head. He turned towards Sasuke and explaining the whole situation in detail. Sasuke couldn’t help the smirk that crawled on his face. The great Hyuuga Neji was going to be engaged to the lazy Nara Shikamaru. It was rich. Too entertaining and deliciously humorous for him to pass up. This was definitely making his day better. It was much more amusing as well.

“Ah, I see,” he stated, looking over at the Hyuuga with an _almost_ innocent look. “I must say, I’m shocked. I would have expected you to be throwing a hissy fit, Hyuuga.”

“Really?” Neji asked, raising a brow. “I thought that was your lot in life.”

Sasuke snorted. “More like Naruto’s actually.”

Naruto’s jaw dropped and Shikamaru snickered at his expression. “Teme!” he glared, smacking the Uchiha upside the back of his head. “See if I ever do you any favors.”

“Damn it, dobe!” Sasuke hissed, clutching onto his head. “That’s where I hit my head this morning on the headboard!”

Naruto’s expression changed immediately. “Oh, Sasuke, I-I’m sorry! I totally forgot!” Not completely thinking clearly, Naruto pulled the Uchiha closer to him and kissed the spot he had just barely hit.

Sasuke flushed at the action, not missing the looks on Neji’s and Shikamaru’s faces. What the hell was Naruto thinking? He would have paled had he not been blushing. There was no question in his mind that the two would figure out what was going on between them and that frightened him slightly. He didn’t hear Neji’s comment, but the smirk was screaming that he knew what was going on. Maybe he could play as if nothing was going on between him and Naruto.

“I’m surprised I didn’t know about it,” Shikamaru grinned. “And people say I’m a genius. How long have you two been hiding that?”

Sasuke’s blush grew. “Hiding what?”

“I don’t think you want me to say it out loud, Sasuke,” Shikamaru said. Sasuke cursed. He didn’t and he knew that Shikamaru wouldn’t, but there was always that chance.

Naruto was just as dark as the Uchiha and his head was slightly bowed. “Please don’t tell anyone. Especially Sakura…”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Neji stated, allowing Sasuke to let out a soft sigh of relief. _That’s one down…_ He didn’t need to make the Hyuuga promise. Neji kept his word.

“Naruto,” Shikamaru started, staring at the blonde with a look so blank no one could have beat it, “have you ever heard of either of us spreading a rumor?”

Naruto sighed, Sasuke feeling completely relieved now. “Thanks guys.”

“Let’s just say we’ll be expecting a really big gift from the two of you when we’re officially engaged,” Shikamaru smirked.

Naruto spun on his chair to look over at Sasuke. “That’s a good idea! What should we get them, Sasuke?”

Sasuke shook his head and muttered “dobe” under his breath. The blond really was clueless sometimes. They finished their lunch shortly after, saying good bye to Neji and Shikamaru and making their way back to the Uchiha compound. He was willing to try and give Kakashi’s suggestion a try, but he wasn’t mentally ready for that. He’d need to prepare himself for all of the negative and degrading looks he’d get from others. That wasn’t going to be easy.

Once inside, Sasuke slumped down on a nearby couch, closing his eyes and rubbing his forehead. Other than Naruto and himself, there were now three people who knew about their relationship. Three extremely trustworthy people, but three nonetheless. They needed to be more careful when they were outside. And Naruto needed to be more careful about who he let information slip to. He was lucky it was Kakashi he had run into and not someone like Iruka-sensei.

He was brought out of his thoughts when his blonde friend came and straddled his hips, smirking when his eyes snapped open. Chuckling, Naruto leaned forward and pressed his lips against Sasuke’s, wrapping his arms around Sasuke’s shoulders. The Uchiha smiled into the kiss in approval and pushed his tongue against Naruto’s bottom lip, slipping it inside when the other granted him access. The blonde moaned softly, rolling his hips against the others.

“Shall I give you the other part of your congratulations?” the blonde panted as Sasuke’s lips and teeth moved to his neck.

“Mmm, sounds good to me,” Sasuke grinned, licking Naruto’s tanned neck. “Would you rather give it to me here on the couch or should we go to my bedroom?”

“Bedroom,” Naruto breathed, tilting his head to give the Uchiha more room to work.

“The bedroom it is,” Sasuke grinned, standing up and wrapping Naruto’s legs around his waist. He continued to kiss the other as they made their way to Sasuke’s bedroom, falling down on the bed with Naruto on the bottom wriggling for more attention. Sasuke grinned and pressed a soft kiss to Naruto’s lips. “I love you, dobe.”

Naruto smiled. “I love you too, teme.”

What followed after that was definitely the best sort of celebration Sasuke had ever had in his entire life.


	2. Side Story 2 (Lee/Gaara)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one ties in with Chapter 11. I feel embarrassed sharing this with all of you honestly, but I will for the sake of posting what I wrote. I'm sure there are so many OOC moments in here so please bear with me.

Gaara sat patiently on Lee’s couch, reading over one of the ridiculous magazines his lover had subscribed to, shaking his head at the more incredulous and inane articles. It was stupid to think that anyone could actually accomplish these feats. And yet, Lee would try, saying that it was youthful and that new challenges were always a good thing for one’s vitality and progress in strength. He would always give Gaara the thumbs up after saying this as well.

Sighing, Gaara set the magazine down and relaxed into this lover’s couch. He had come straight here after his meeting with Tsunade, the trade problems proving more difficult than what they had originally thought. It was, as Shikamaru would put it, troublesome. The red head stood up and walked into the kitchen, filling a glass of water before slowly sipping at it. He was always slightly envious of how easy it was to get water in Konoha compared to Suna.

He was alerted of Lee’s homecoming when the door opened and closed, much more quietly that usual. Slightly worried, Gaara set his glass of water down and looked into the living room. Lee’s face was twisted in concentration and he was pacing back and forth in on the living room floor. Hairless brows drawing together, Gaara drew closer to the other. “Lee? Are you alright? What’s going on?”

“I’m fine, Gaara,” Lee said quietly. “It’s Neji I’m worried about.”

Gaara sat down on the couch, pulling the other to sit down next to him. “What’s wrong with Neji?”

“That’s just it,” Lee replied, his legs bouncing. “I don’t know what’s wrong. He’s locked himself in his room. We were sparring in the training field when Hanabi ran in and told Neji that Hinata had returned.”

Gaara blinked. “The Hyuuga girl that ran away? She’s back?”

Lee nodded, his hands twisting against themselves. “I saw her for myself when I walked Hanabi home. She looked miserable if you ask me. Anyhow, I immediately went to Neji’s room, with Lord Hiashi’s permission of course, and asked if I could come in. He didn’t answer and when I tried to open the door I found it locked. I couldn’t get inside.”

Now Gaara was really confused. “He locked his door and wouldn’t let you in?”

Lee nodded again and jumped back up to his feet. Gaara could see why the other was troubled. Whenever Neji was upset or frustrated, he had never denied Lee’s company before. In fact, he had been all the more welcoming to the green-clad shinobi before. The fact that Neji wasn’t letting Lee see him, much less talk back to him, was troubling indeed. But they weren’t going to get anywhere with just thinking about it.

Throughout the day, Lee would often run over to the Hyuuga compound, usually without warning to his red-headed lover, and try again, only to return defeated every time. When night came and it was too late in the day to make a friendly call to the Hyuuga home, Gaara tried to calm his worried lover down, but to no avail. Lee would sit for no more than five minutes before he was back up and pacing again, occasionally walking to the bathroom or the kitchen.

The night passed quickly, Gaara falling asleep by himself, much to his irritation. Morning came and Lee was acting no differently. He had small bags under his eyes and his pace was just as fast and worried as it had been before Gaara had gone to bed. Growling in frustration, Gaara when to the kitchen and made himself some breakfast, tossing an apple to Lee, who caught it without breaking his pacing, biting into it and his eyes staying distant.

It was well into the afternoon when a knock came to Lee’s door. Knowing the other was too preoccupied with his thoughts to get the door, Gaara walked over and opened it, sighing heavily when he found Shikamaru standing at it. The Nara raised a brow and looked over at Lee. He didn’t need to hear the unasked question to know what Shikamaru was thinking.

“He’s been like that for a day now,” Gaara explained. “I can barely even get him to sit down.”

Shikamaru didn’t say a word as Gaara let him in. The red head watched as he walked over to his lover and smacked him in the back of the head. He frowned at the action, but figured if it worked in calming Lee down, even slightly, he wouldn’t kill Shikamaru for it. He closed the door as the two exchanged their ‘greetings’, focusing in on their conversation.

“What’s up with you?” Shikamaru asked.

Lee frowned. “I’m worried. About Neji.”

Gaara watched as the brow that had previously gone back to its normal position raised again. “What’s wrong with Neji?”

“That’s exactly it!” Lee said, biting his lower lip. “I don’t know. I haven’t seen him since he found out that Hinata had come home.”

The red head almost snickered when the other went up. “What do you mean?”

Lee, finally, sat down and let a heavy sigh escape his lips. “He refuses to come out of his room. And he’s not eating very much. I asked Hiashi if he knew what was wrong, but he didn’t know. He merely shook his head and sighed. Y-You haven’t seen him?”

“I’m not allowed to,” Shikamaru stated. Gaara could’ve sworn that there was some sort of curiosity, if not concern in the Nara’s eyes.

The Kazekage made his way over to sit down next to Lee, placing a hand on his shoulder as the other asked a question that was resting on both of their minds. Shikamaru wasn’t allowed to see Neji? That was awfully strange to the red head’s mind.

Shikamaru sighed softly. “Hiashi’s told me that I have a choice, between Neji and Hinata. I have to decide by tomorrow.”

“Pick Neji.”

Gaara blinked and stared in surprise at his lover. Had Lee…just told Shikamaru what to do? That had to be a first. Gaara had never heard Lee tell anyone what to do. He had heard the other give suggestions and opinions, often followed with other options and ideas, but never an outright order. It was shocking to him to say the least. By the look on the Nara’s face, it would appear that it was no less surprising or shocking to him as well.

Shikamaru stared at Lee for a moment before a soft sigh left his lips. “What makes you think I should pick Neji?”

Lee lowered his eyes to the floor and relaxed slightly. “Neji…has been much happier these days. Not many people have seen the difference, but I have. I think it’s because of you really. I don’t know, but…he just seemed happier whenever you were around, no matter how much you teased him.”

“Could you give me an example?”

“Do you remember when we were all at the dango shop? When Ino said that Neji had a stick up his ass?” Lee asked.

Shikamaru grumbled and nodded. Gaara couldn’t help but smirk a little. It would seem that Shikamaru remembered it all to well.

“When he realized that you were there,” Lee said quietly, “I could have sworn that…he looked like he was about to smile, but stopped himself. Other than that, he just seemed to be…happier. I don’t even know how to explain it.”

“Hmmm,” Shikamaru hummed. “Well, I guess you’ve answered any questions I had, Lee. Thanks.”

Lee jumped up from his spot as Shikamaru made his way to his door. “Who are you going to pick?”

“Not sure yet,” Shikamaru answered, opening the door and looking back at the pair. “You’ll find out when everyone else does. In the meantime, why don’t you pay attention to your boyfriend? He looks like a neglected puppy.” With that he closed the door, Gaara half glaring at him.

Lee blinked a few times before he looked down at Gaara. The red head could see his thought process and merely smiled when his lover blushed in embarrassment.

“I have been rather neglectful, haven’t I?” Lee asked softly, looking down at the ground.

“I haven’t minded,” Gaara half lied. He stood up and turned to walk into the kitchen when he was suddenly grabbed from behind. “L-Lee?”

“I will never ignore you ever again!” the taijutsu master exclaimed. “I promise!”

Gaara rolled his eyes and turned around in Lee’s arms. “Lee, don’t make a promise you can’t keep.”

“But-“

The red head hushed him with a kiss, short and sweet, and smiled at him. “Really, it’s alright. It’s not as bad as what the Nara made it sound to be.”

“If you’re sure…”

“I’m positive,” Gaara stated. “Now, let’s get some dinner made.”

Lee beamed and nodded his head. “Of course! Then we can go and eat somewhere pleasant!”

Gaara agreed. He was glad to have his old Lee back. He was sure that the other was still worried about Neji, but he wouldn’t brood over so much anymore. Maybe having Shikamaru show up had been a good thing, despite how the other had handled his lover at points. But it had worked and so Gaara wouldn’t complain. After all, it wasn’t every day that Rock Lee was pacing back and forth in his living room, worrying over something or someone.

Dinner was quickly made and once finished, the two moved out of Lee’s apartment, Gaara refusing to let Lee carry him wherever the other wanted to lead him. Yes, he more often than not let Lee do it because someone with Lee’s speed could avoid looks and glances that Gaara didn’t want to have. Even after he had lost Shukaku, people still regarded him as a monster. Even in Konoha it was odd. He was the Kazekage and as much as he liked the title, he hated the formality that came along with it.

“We’re here, Gaara!” Lee said excitedly.

Gaara could only blink. The place Lee had brought him to was beautiful. Green grassed tinted red and orange by the afternoon sun was resting along the edge of a large lake, the other side filled with the trees of the Konoha’s large and immense forest. The sun was reflecting off of the water, reds, oranges, and pinks mixing in the ripples. It was beautiful in Gaara’s eyes and he had never seen anything like it. In fact, it was almost as if it were a dream.

“Do you like it?” Lee asked.

“It’s amazing,” Gaara replied. “Suna afternoons and sunsets are never like this.”

Lee beamed. “I’m glad I could share it with you! Now, let’s eat our dinner!”

Gaara ate his food slowly, eyes distracted with everything that surrounded the two of them. It was absolutely gorgeous in his mind. Once finished, Lee gathered their things and ran to the nearest trash bin, leaving Gaara by himself for a few minutes. He simply stared out over the water, watching as fish occasionally popped out to catch a bug or just for the heck of it. It made him smile inside. It was all so serene and peaceful. Suna’s sands never looked like this.

He didn’t jump when two legs slid up next to his own, or when two arms wrapped around his torso. He merely gave a small smile before leaning back, letting his eyes close slightly when a soft kiss was pressed to his forehead. As unaccustomed as he was to the whole love subject, he loved the attentions he received from his black-haired lover. Lee had worked with him for a few years, getting him used to the ideas of familial love and then the love of a friend. Naruto had helped him with that one as well.

It had only been a year ago when Lee had brought on a whole new concept of love to him. And yet it had gone much smoother than the taijutsu master had expected. Gaara had been more than ready to go onto the next step and acquire a special someone. Lee had not been expecting it to be him though, and yet he was very much overjoyed to find out that tidbit of information. So much so that he had run all around Suna…fifteen times.

“Gaara, I’m glad I have you by my side,” Lee said quietly, somewhat lost in thought.

Somewhat caught off guard by the statement, Gaara turned his head to look into the face of his lover. “What brought that up?”

Lee gave the other an amused grin. “I was just thinking about how lost I would have been should you not have been here yesterday and today. Anyone less patient than yourself would have given up on me and I would have starved to death.”

Gaara smirked. “You would not have starved. You would have just gotten hungry.”

“Nonetheless, thank you,” Lee whispered, which was so different from his normal self. “I owe you quite a bit for the happiness you bring to my life.”

“Hmm,” Gaara hummed, letting his eyes close as he snuggled closer to the body sitting behind him. The sun was long gone at this point and the dark of night was beginning to take over the sky. As time passed, he shivered slightly, Lee’s arms coming to wrap more protectively around him. He hummed once more in appreciation and relaxed completely into Lee’s hold. He really loved these moments, where it was just him and Lee. He was always so solid in public that these moments where he let loose were always enjoyable.

“Should we go back now?” Lee asked, looking up at the night sky. The stars had come out long ago and the two had been sitting in the same place for hours.

Gaara merely nodded and put up no protest when Lee got up, picking him up at the same time. The green-clad shinobi raced off towards Konoha, holding the Kazekage close to him as he ran. Gaara didn’t care who saw them, should anybody. He knew that some people in Konoha didn’t approve of homosexual relationships, but he didn’t care. His friends, the only people in Konoha that he truly cared for, didn’t seem to care, seeing as many of them were the same way.

They arrived back at Lee’s apartment. Gaara smirked inside of his head as he tiredly made his way inside. Every time he came, Tsunade would always offer to give him a room in one of Konoha’s vast hotels, but he would always refuse. And yet she seemed to do it only out of precaution, not political interests. She knew of his relationship with one of her shinobi’s and could care less. If anything, it only made Gaara happier with the woman’s position.

“Why don’t you go get ready for bed?” Lee asked, locking his door, his normal, bright smile on his face. “I’m just going to finish up a few things and then I’ll be in.”

Gaara did as he was suggested and merely nodded as he made his way to Lee’s…no their room. Lee was so persistent sometimes and he had insisted that whenever the redhead was visiting Konoha that his room automatically became their room. The Kazekage shook his head. His lover was such a strange, vibrant person. He often considered himself so lucky that Lee returned his feelings. It shocked him that no one else had wanted to nab the taijutsu master before him.

“Gaara? Are you alright?”

The Kazekage was brought out of his thoughts only to realize that he was simply standing in the middle of their room, staring at the bed. He shook his head and turned towards Lee, smirking. “I’m fine, Lee. Just having a little trouble with removing my clothes is all,” he added coyly.

Lee quickly caught the hint and smiled seductively himself. Gaara always shivered when he saw that smile. Who would have thought that Lee could be so sexy? The green-clad shinobi made his way slowly over to the other and wrapped his hands around his waist. “Shall I help you remove them, my little tanuki?”

Gaara let his eyes fall shut. He hated and loved that nickname at the same time. It always reminded him of his past, when Shukaku had been firmly sealed within him, depriving him of his sleep and giving him the strange, permanent black markings around his eyes. But it also reminded him of all the wonderful things that had happened since he had met Lee. Yes, he still regretted the chunnin exam events, but after that…they had become a powerful, even threatening team. He would never tell Lee his thoughts however. There was no doubt in his mind that his lover would stop using the name.

“Yes,” he whispered, leaning up against the other. “I’d like that very much.”

Lee’s smile grew slightly and his hands slowly made their way to unbuckle and remove Gaara’s vest, letting the heavy thing fall to the floor. Not stopping in their trek, his moved to the redhead’s maroon coat and started to slowly unzip it, letting his fingers trail over pale, unmarred, almost perfect skin as he went. He felt Gaara shiver underneath this touch and his smile slowly slid into a smirk. It wasn’t until that point that he truly noticed how tired he was. He sighed softly and rested his head against the other.

“I’m sorry Gaara,” he whispered, letting his hands drop to Gaara’s hips. “I don’t have the energy for that tonight.”

Gaara smiled knowingly, leaning forward and pressing a light kiss to Lee’s lips. “That doesn’t mean you can’t help me finish.”

Lee shook his head and chuckled. “Tease.”

“You can only blame yourself for that one, Lee,” Gaara said softly, reaching up and starting to unzip Lee’s suit from the back. “You’re the one who taught me all these emotions.”

Lee chuckled again. “You make life worth living, Gaara. Don’t ever leave me.”

“I have no plans to do so now or ever.”


	3. Side Story 3 (Sasuke/Naruto

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This side story ties in with chapter 14 of TWTA. Happy reading!

“Enough, Sakura,” Sasuke snapped, his eyes staring at the floor. “You too, dobe. Gods, so infuriating. And people wondered why I left.”

Sasuke didn’t see the sting in Sakura’s expression or the hurt in Naruto’s. If he had, he might have apologized right then and there, but he was too busy thinking of his own troubles at the moment. He barely caught what Neji said to Naruto, only to lift his eyes and glare when he started to walk away with his boyfriend. Neji merely glared back, adding on a comment before he left. Sakura took one more glance at him before she too left.

Shikamaru merely stood there for a moment, staring at him. Sasuke fought the urge to shift in place. He would never admit it, but it was damn near uncomfortable when the Nara’s eyes were anything but lazy. Especially with the stern, almost angry look they held now. Sighing, he lifted his head and looked at the other. “What? Did I offend you somehow?”

“I could care less about myself, Uchiha,” Shikamaru said plainly. “It’s the people close to you that I’m concerned about.”

Sasuke snorted. “You? Concerned? That’s got to be a new one.”

Shikamaru’s eyes narrowed. “You’re not very funny.”

“What? Are you going to lecture me?” Sasuke asked defiantly. He didn’t like where this was going.

“As a matter of fact, I am,” Shikamaru stated. “And you’re going to stay here and listen to it.”

“Why should I?”

“Because it’s about high time someone knocked you off of your high and mighty pedestal and knock some sense into you.”

“And you’re going to be the one to do that?”

Shikamaru’s voice lowered dangerously low. “You may be a Uchiha, Sasuke, but I could still beat you in a fight. Don’t push me.”

Sasuke didn’t respond. There was evident anger in Shikamaru’s voice. It was as close to yelling as he had ever heard the lazy nin get. He merely stared at the Nara’s dark brown eyes before he averted his gaze. He didn’t want to do a staring contest with the other. It just wasn’t worth his time. At least that’s what he thought. Apparently his comrade, fellow nin, and somewhat offhand friend thought otherwise.

“You need to lift you eyes from what ever dull place they’re staring at and look around you,” Shikamaru stated, his voice returning back to normal once more. “There are more people in this world than just you.”

“No one’s gone what I’ve been through,” Sasuke mumbled.

“What? The fact that you had to kill your brother? The fact that he gave his Sharingan powers to you through a simple touch? The fact that things were so screwed up with your family that not even Tsunade knew about it? Is that what you’re talking about?”

Sasuke’s eyes widened and flew to stare at the Nara. “How…?”

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. “I’m a genius remember? I know you have the Mangekyou. I’ve seen the reports you’ve left directly in Tsunade’s hands after a mission. Did you ever think that those reports had to eventually go through my inspection as her personal ‘advisor’? You obviously didn’t kill your best friend like the old requirements say, as Naruto is still with us. So that leaves only one option left: a transfer. The only person left to do so had to be Itachi. And it’s not impossible. I’ve read about it being done before.”

Sasuke shook his head. How could one person deduce all this? But now that he heard it, it made simple sense. “And the rest?”

Shikamaru sighed. “I got to read through the secret reports of Danzo after the man died, by the Hokage’s orders. Tsunade knew I wouldn’t miss anything important, so she made it a mission that I analyze and read through each damn sheet of paper.” It still wasn’t a pleasant memory in his mind. “He revealed the undermining of your father and family, wanting to overthrow the power in Konoha. It seems that some of the village elders knew about it too.”

Sasuke remained silent. He was sincerely praising whatever forces were watching over him that Shikamaru wasn’t one to gossip and spread news. He didn’t want to know how people would treat him if they knew the truth. Not even Naruto knew those things.

“My point is, Sasuke, that you need to get off your high horse, whether you really think that way or whether it’s an act. You didn’t see the look on either Naruto’s or Sakura’s face after you’re last comment,” Shikamaru added nonchalantly.

Raising his eyes, Sasuke frowned. “What do you mean?”

“That’s exactly my point,” Shikamaru sighed, rolling his eyes again. “You were too busy thinking about how annoying the two were being and how terrible your life was to even notice anything else. It makes me wonder if you’re able to handle the life of a shinobi.”

Sasuke growled. That comment stung. “Oh? What makes you the person who can judge?” He knew he was going to lose this battle, but that didn’t mean he was going to stop fighting. But then, maybe it would be smarter to just back down.

“I see and notice almost every stupid little detail, Sasuke,” Shikamaru stated. “But even Neji saw the hurt look on Naruto’s face. Why do you think he asked to speak with our favorite blonde so quickly after your stinging comment?”

Glaring, Sasuke turned to look at the floor once again. “Naruto knows I don’t mean it.”

“Doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt.”

Sasuke paused at that. He had never thought that the comment, no matter how untrue, would still hurt a person’s feelings. He raised his eyes to look at the Nara, who was staring back at him boredly.

“It seems you’ve made the connection,” Shikamaru said softly.

He felt terrible. He felt lower than the dirt itself at the moment. How many times had he said something unthinkingly and Naruto flinched inwardly at the comment? How many times had he hurt his lover without realizing it? He felt horrible upon the realization that he could slowly be pulling Naruto into a state of depression that he had just helped Sasuke out of?

“I’m going to find Neji,” Shikamaru finally huffed, acting as if nothing had happened between the two of them. He might not have given Sasuke the lecture he had originally planned in his head, but the effect on the raven-haired male was the same. Sasuke was seeing the error of his comments and actions. Hopefully he would pull out of the self-pity party he was holding soon.

Silently, Sasuke followed the genius, knowing that where Neji was, Naruto would most likely be. He needed to talk to his boyfriend. He needed to apologize. But…he wasn’t good at verbally apologizing. Naruto knew that just as well as anyone else, but that didn’t give him an excuse not to. How was he going to show the other how sorry he was for his words and actions? It wasn’t until he heard the blonde’s voice that he snapped back into reality.

“Why?” Naruto asked. “You’ve got him for eternity right?”

“He can still avoid me,” Neji answered.

Sasuke saw Shikamaru smirk momentarily. “If you’re talking about me, why would I do that?”

Sasuke could barely manage to meet Naruto’s eyes when the pair turned to look at them. He suddenly hated the look on his face, whatever it might be, for there was worry and concern in the blue eyes he loved so much. “Naruto, may I speak to you? Alone?”

Naruto nodded his head and stood up, sending a glance towards Shikamaru before he turned to follow the Uchiha out of the room. Sasuke remained silent as they exited the Hyuuga compound, trying to figure out what he was going to do. He knew that Naruto was getting more and more worried with each second, but he couldn’t think of anything to say. What was he supposed to do? He needed to tell Naruto he was sorry, there was no doubt about that.

“Sasuke, this tension is killing me,” Naruto whined once they were near the blonde’s apartment.

The Uchiha stopped in the middle of the road before he turned to Naruto. He stared at the other for a moment before he sighed. “Naruto…you’ll come over tonight…right?”

Naruto let out a heavy sigh and smirk. His mind worked so simply sometimes. “Is that what this is about? Of course I will be.”

Sasuke shook his head. “No, it’s…important that you come over…I need to…say something.”

The worry returned to the blonde’s features. “Well…yeah, I’ll be over tonight.” He scratched the back of his head and tried to make the mood less heavy. “In fact, I’ll race you! Bet you I can beat you to your own house, even after I’ve gotten ready for be-, I mean to visit you.”

Sasuke couldn’t stop the smirk that spread on his features. “We’ll see, dobe. I’ll even walk.”

“You’re on!” Naruto exclaimed, racing towards the door of his apartment building.

Shaking his head, Sasuke resumed his trek on his way to his home. The smirk left his lips, replaced by the contemplative look he had held earlier. He still didn’t know how he was going to convey how sorry he was to the other. Sighing softly, he entered the grounds of his home, not surprised when he found he had beaten the other. Although, it took less than normal for Naruto to show up. The blonde was panting heavily and he had his normal, stupid grin on his face.

“Aw, I lost,” Naruto pouted, huffing heavily.

Sasuke merely stared at him for a moment before he silently turned from the room they were in to head to his own. Naruto followed cautiously, trying to see if he could visibly detect what was bugging his dark haired lover. Once inside of Sasuke’s bedroom, the raven sat down on his bed, sighing heavily and staring at the floor.

“What’s bothering you?” Naruto asked softly, sitting down next to him. “You’re never like this.”

Sasuke turned to look at the other and was instantly drowning in the other’s eyes. It took all of his will power to lean over and rest his head on Naruto’s shoulder. “Do…you hate the way…I speak sometimes?”

Naruto’s forehead scrunched in slight confusion before they relaxed in understanding. “Is this about earlier?”

Sasuke nodded.

Naruto sighed. “I know you don’t mean it, Sasuke.”

“But…it hurts you, doesn’t it?”

Naruto grimaced slightly. “Well, yeah, but I can shrug it off. I mean, it’s not li-“

He didn’t get to finish his phrase, eyes widening in surprise as the Uchiha suddenly launched himself at the blonde, wrapping his arms around the other and burying his face into Naruto’s shoulder. He tenderly began to place kisses, soft and gentle, along the expanse of Naruto’s neck. His fingers began to massage his lover’s back, carefully kneading the skin. Black onyx eyes closed in concentration as blue ones fluttered at the attentions.

Naruto sighed and wrapped his arms around the other in return. He knew this was how the other was saying he was sorry. The kisses themselves felt apologetic. He pulled the other closer, tilting his head to the side to give the other more room. “I forgive you,” he whispered, half hoping that the other didn’t hear him.

That broke the floodgates for Sasuke and he had to stop for a moment as rebellious tears started to form in his eyes. He breathed in shakily and held the other tighter. Too kind. Naruto was far too kind to him. He bit his lower lip as it started to tremble. He wouldn’t cry. A Uchiha didn’t cry over something like this. But he was lucky. He was so lucky to have Naruto and he would do whatever it took to make Naruto understand how he felt.

Slowly, he opened his eyes, having regained control over his emotions and began to resume his trail of kisses upon the other’s skin. This time, however, each was ended with a sensual lick, Sasuke moaning softly at Naruto’s taste. He nibbled on the blonde’s jaw line and up to his earlobe. Gently, he began to bite as his hands moved upwards, pulling Naruto’s shirt with them until his back was exposed to the air in the room. Naruto shivered slightly for both of the attentions.

Sasuke smirked to himself as his pulled his own shirt off. He wasn’t expecting Naruto to lean forward like he did, and he gasped softly as the blonde latched onto one of his nipples. He moaned and arched into the touch, his fingers curling into Naruto’s hair. Sloppily, Naruto made his way up, leaving a trail of saliva over the pale, almost white skin covering the Uchiha’s built, toned muscles before he reached the open mouth, slipping his tongue inside.

Deciding that Naruto had taken enough control for the night, although it hadn’t been much, Sasuke pushed his lover back onto the bed, initiating a rough, passionate tongue battle, straddling his hips as he did so. Naruto practically whimpered at the onslaught, but made no move to protest as he let his hands wander over the expanse of Sasuke’s back. His fingers danced over the other’s flesh, loving how soft it was, despite all the years. It was almost like a new born babe’s. How had the other kept it this way?

His thought process was soon eradicated when Sasuke began to thrust his hips down against his own, pushing his half hard member into full arousal. He was moaning and thrusting upwards in a few seconds, his hands sliding down to the other’s pants. It seemed Sasuke had the same idea as he was reaching for the blonde’s almost immediately. Unfortunately for Naruto, he was wearing his sweat bottoms while Sasuke was wearing his nice suit pants.

Sasuke pulled off the sweats quickly, tossing them to the floor in his haste. And yet, he wanted to be patient as well. He wanted to make Naruto enjoy this. Teasingly, he ran his fingers over the other’s hard length before he cupped him, grinning when Naruto threw his head back and gasped harshly. He loved turning his lover into this pile of goo. And he knew that the blonde loved it too. Slowly, he started to squeeze and press the other’s erection, loving the way Naruto pressed back eagerly.

“Please…Sasuke,” Naruto gasped, his fingers fumbling with the other’s belt.

“Please what, Naruto?” Sasuke teased, leaning forward and licking the shell of the blonde’s ear.

Naruto shivered as his eyes fluttered shut. “D-don’t tease me…”

“Oh? But your body is begging otherwise.” He gave the other a rough squeeze, forcing a groan from his lips. “See?”

Naruto whined as he shakily removed the other’s belt. “Ah!…Th-That’s not f-fair!”

Sasuke chuckled. “What’s not fair?” Gods, he loved doing this. He was such a mean person sometimes.

Naruto groaned in frustration as he failed to undo the other’s pants. “Sasuke! Just do me!”

Smiling, the Uchiha pressed a soft kiss to Naruto’s cheek before he pulled back. “As you wish. Get on the bed more fully.” Standing up, he unbuttoned and unzipped his pants, watching as Naruto adjusted himself on the bed, still clad in his boxers. Sasuke shivered as he pulled his pants and boxers off. The other was too damn hot for his own good. It was no wonder that the blonde made him lose his control so often and so quickly.

He crawled back onto the bed, towering over the other as his fingers made their way down the other’s sides, fingers stopping on the rim of Naruto’s boxers. Slowly, he began to pull them down, waiting for the other’s cock to spring from its confines. Naruto hissed softly when he was exposed to the cooler air of Sasuke’s room, but didn’t take his eyes off of the Uchiha’s hands. He wanted to watch every move that the other made. He didn’t want to miss anything.

With a teasing touch, Sasuke ran a feather-light touch up the vein of Naruto’s erection, running the tip of his finger over the hard head. Naruto shivered in delight and his hips lifted slightly off the bed, trying to gain more friction. Sasuke smirked before he lowered himself onto the other, letting their erections come together. He bit his lip as he started to rub against the other, holding back his sounds of pleasure. They had to be as quiet as possible, especially with the random guards that would come to watch him in the night.

“Oh, Sasuke,” Naruto pleaded, his hands clutching the Uchiha’s shoulders. “Please, g-go faster…”

Sasuke complied, rubbing himself more furiously against the other. Naruto joined in the action and soon the two of them were moaning as softly as they could manage. Panting, Sasuke reached under his pillow, searching for their tube of lube. He groaned in frustration when his mind brought to his attention that they had finished it a couple of nights ago. He needed to find more. He would not take Naruto dry. He would never do that to the other.

As if sensing their predicament, Naruto grabbed Sasuke’s groping hand and took three of his fingers into his mouth. He moaned as he lathered the digits with his saliva, coating them thoroughly. Sasuke couldn’t help but watch, ready to explode at the sight. When did Naruto get so delicious to watch? He was completely entranced by the other’s movements. Shaking his head slightly, he pulled his drenched fingers away, ready to burst once again at the way Naruto looked.

“You’re too damn sexy for your own good, Naruto,” Sasuke muttered as his fingers made their way down to a tight, puckered hole.

Naruto chuckled. “Isn’t that a good thing for you?” He snickered again, only to let out a sharp gasp when a finger was pushed into his rectum. His breath was short as he felt the finger inside, curling and twisting against his walls. His hips thrust downwards, trying to push the invader further, only to no avail. He whined and tried again, only to receive a chuckle for his efforts. He began to pout, though his hips still moved of their own accord.

Smirking, Sasuke added a second finger, which was shortly followed by the third. He was sure that it wouldn’t take long to fully stretch the other, but tormenting him was far too much fun. Naruto was eagerly thrusting back, trying to get them deeper, to hit a spot inside, but Sasuke refused to give him that. Instead he merely continued to stretch the other, occasionally brushing around the blonde’s prostate, but never touching it. Soon Naruto was writhing.

The Uchiha grinned and slowly let his tongue run up the underside of the blonde’s cock, keeping the action sensual, but light. Slowly, he enveloped the head, sucking softly. He didn’t want the other to cum just yet. Oh no. He wanted to feel the other’s walls clamp down around him. His own erection twitched at the thought and he moaned softly. The vibrations sent electricity through Naruto’s blood, forcing a gasp from his lips and his hips to jerk upwards. Sasuke licked the pre-cum from his tip, humming at the taste in pleasure.

“Stop teasing!” Naruto begged. “Please!”

Slowly, Sasuke pulled his fingers away and Naruto let out a disappointed sound, almost needy. Panting softly at his restraint, Sasuke pushed himself up, turned, and straddled his lover’s chest, his need bobbing in front of Naruto’s mouth. He positioned his head in between Naruto’s legs, staring at the other’s member for a moment before he wiggled his hips. “Get it soaked, Naruto. I don’t want to hurt you when I go in.” With that said, he took the other’s member back into his mouth, his fingers returning to their stretching.

Naruto moaned as he licked the other’s length before he took the head into his mouth. He sucked hard and licked deep into the other’s slit before he took in more. Gods, he loved the Uchiha’s flavor! His hands moved to grab Sasuke’s hips, giving him the leverage he needed to pull in more. He wanted to taste the other. Wanted to feel his cum running down his throat. And now that Sasuke had give him the opportunity, he wasn’t letting it go.

“Ngh!” Sasuke moaned, pulling away from the other’s throbbing need. “N-Not so hard! You’ll m-make me cum.”

Naruto hummed in response, sucking more heavily and pulling in more. Sasuke refused to pulled into a war, and instead turned to suck and nibble at the other’s balls. Naruto’s moans were intoxicating and the heat of his mouth was doing wonders to Sasuke’s mind. He tried to stave of his release, but the other’s moist, hot orifice was too much for him to handle. Crying out softly when the other deep throated him, he shot his load, filling the other full of his seed and his fingers clenching Naruto’s insides.

The blonde moaned happily at the other’s taste, despite the pain in his backside, his throat and mouth eagerly swallowing and pulling as much from the other as they could. Sasuke shivered once as his climax neared its end. Panting softly, he moved to the blonde’s hole, licking around the ring apologetically for squeezing his insides too hard. He pulled his fingers away, licking them momentarily, before he delved his tongue inside of Naruto’s rectum.

Naruto groaned at the feeling of the other’s tongue and continued to suck on Sasuke’s wilted, softened member. He soon had it up to full hardness again, sucking eagerly as if he would receive a second treat that night. He knew the other hated to cum first, but he had really wanted to taste the other tonight. He rarely got to suck the other off as it was and the Uchiha had given him the perfect opportunity. And it looked like he was going to be punished for it, especially as he had gotten the other hard once again.

Not willing to cum again, Sasuke pulled away, keeping his mouth around the other’s hole as he moved to the end of the bed. His hand came and wrapped around the base of Naruto’s cock, effectively holding off the other’s release. Naruto groaned and tried to wiggle away, but was held still. He hated being denied, but it looked like he was being punished for making the other cum. He whimpered when Sasuke pulled away from his hole, panting softly.

Sasuke leaned forward, pressing the head against the blonde’s stretched hole moving till he was hovering over the other. He simply stared into Naruto’s eyes for a moment, letting the bright blue swallow him. Slowly, he pressed his lips softly against the blonde’s, slipping his tongue inside, catching his own flavor. With no warning, he quickly thrust into the other, hoping that he was slick enough from the other’s saliva. He swallowed the other’s moan, simply sitting still to let not only Naruto, but himself adjust.

“Always so warm, Naruto,” he breathed as he pulled away from their kiss. “Always…so tight.”

“Just for you,” Naruto gasped, giving him a half grin. “I know you wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Sasuke merely grunted before he pulled his hips back, thrusting them forward once he was practically sitting outside. A steady, slow pace was built, Sasuke trying to give the other as much pleasure as he could. Naruto was moaning underneath him, pushing back eagerly against each thrust, gasping for breath. He wrapped his arms around Sasuke’s shoulders, his legs twisting together behind Sasuke’s waist. He wanted the Uchiha to go deeper.

A chocked scream let Sasuke know when he had hit the other’s prostate and he continued to ram into it. He covered the blonde’s mouth with his own, swallowing every yell. His fingers gripped Naruto’s hips in a deathlike hold, sure to leave bruises come morning. The pace grew faster and faster, the sounds of slapping flesh filling the room. The Uchiha forcing his tongue into the other’s mouth as he released his cock, his hand moving to stroke the member instead.

Sasuke swallowed Naruto’s scream as he came, coating both their stomachs and chests with his seed. The inside of Naruto’s passage spasmed and clamped down around Sasuke’s member, squeezing his own essence out of him. He moaned as he came, thrusting a few more times for good measure as the muscles around him milked him of everything he had, as if making sure that he was and would stay completely spent for the rest of the night. Exhausted, he flopped down next to Naruto, completely worn out. Cuming twice took a lot out of you.

“Feel better?” Naruto asked after they had had a moment to catch their breaths.

Sasuke nodded. “I…Did you enjoy yourself?”

Naruto grinned. “I tasted you and got it in the ass. How could I not be happy?”

Sasuke snorted. “You’re so crude, dobe.”

“But you love me that way,” Naruto stated, snuggling closer to the other.

Sasuke smirked. “I’d love you more if you weren’t crude.”

“Hey!” Naruto pouted. “That was rude!”

“I know, I know,” Sasuke chuckled, looking down at the blonde’s pouting face. “I was teasing. I wouldn’t change you for anything.” With that said, he pressed his lips to Naruto’s swollen ones for a moment before pulling away. Tiredly, he wrapped his arms around the other and held him close. “Naruto?”

“Hm? What’s wrong?”

“…Nothing. Forget it.”

Naruto sighed and wiggled till he was facing the other. “What is it? Tell me.”

Sasuke stared at the other, his hand coming to rest on the tanned cheek. Unable to voice his feelings, he leaned forward and kissed the other again, trying to convey his need for the other. Naruto was everything to him. He needed the other to stay in his life forever.

The blonde seemed to have gotten the message for as the Uchiha pulled away he said, “I love you too.”

Smiling, Sasuke pulled the covers up and over them, making sure that Naruto would be warm throughout the night. Wrapping his arms around the blonde once more, he was happy when his lover’s came and wrapped around his waist, holding him tight before Naruto fell into a deep, dreamless sleep. He held the other close all night long, unwilling to let him go even in his sleep.


	4. Side Story 4 (Lee/Gaara)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story kind of lies in between chapter 15 and 16 of TWTA. I hope you'll enjoy reading this old short!

Gaara moaned as Lee grinded up against him, panting in between their kiss as best he could. His fingers curled in Lee’s spandex, trying to pull the other closer despite the stretchy material. Lee seemed to hear his unspoken wish however and pushed himself closer, firmly sandwiching Gaara between himself and the wall behind the red head. Gaara shivered in pleasure, eyes half lidded as they watched the blacked haired male in front of him pulled away.

“L-Lee,” Gaara gasped, “don’t you…have to go training with Neji soon?”

Lee smirked and nuzzled Gaara’s cheek. “And when has training ever been more important than you?”

Gaara flushed. “But you had a new move you wanted to try out.”

Lee paused. He really did want to try it. “True, but I think we have time for a quickie, don’t you?” With that said, he latched onto Gaara’s neck, pulling a moan from the redhead’s lips. He loved that sound and would do everything in his power to hear it over and over when they were like this. Gaara’s voice was like music to his ears and he loved the way it sounded, no matter what words or noises were leaving the other’s mouth. Even when he was angry, Lee couldn’t help but love it.

Slowly, the two started to shed their clothes, Gaara having to practically peel Lee’s clothes off of him. Sometimes he wished that his lover would wear something that wasn’t quite so…different, but then he didn’t mind it most times. Soon both were stripped down to nothing other than their boxers. Gaara’s hands moved to cling to Lee’s shoulders when a callused, scarred hand slowly made its way down his stomach, brushing the top of his boxers and the head of his arousal.

“Nnh! L-Lee!” Gaara gasped as the strong fingers wrapped around him, slowly stroking and pumping him. He bucked up into the hand without care, knowing that the other loved it when he was like this. It showed both of them that Gaara wasn’t acting when it came to these emotions. Wasn’t trying to keep up a visage or a mask. This was the real thing and the redhead loved the way it felt. Loved how tender and gentle Lee was with him.

Lee started to plant kisses all over his neck and shoulders, whispering words of adoration and praise between them. It made Gaara shiver in delight and his couldn’t help but curl his fingers into Lee’s hair, his hips thrusting up faster and faster. He knew he was on the brink of an orgasm, but so did Lee and the taijutsu master stopped stroking. Gaara whined loudly in disappointment, pulling a chuckle from his black haired lover.

“So wet, Gaara,” Lee said quietly, nibbling on the sensitive spots of the redhead’s neck. “So hard too.”

“Lee, don’t t-tease…” Gaara breathed, his eyes fluttering shut.

Lee chuckled. “Teasing? I’m merely stating facts.”

Lee was different when it came to this kind of thing, Gaara had noticed. Not that it was bad thing. Oh no. He _liked_ this person, this strong, powerful shinobi who was always so gentle with him. So gentle and wouldn’t spout out things about the power of youth and all that other nonsensical stuff. No, this person was a tease, and a big one at that. So much so that it would drive Gaara to the brink of insanity sometimes. That and make him so aroused he could barely stand.

“Let’s m-move to the bed, Lee,” Gaara panted, opening his eyes slightly.

Lee shook his head and continued to trail his kisses lower, now resting over the redhead’s navel. “It’ll take too much time.”

“But to do it here-“

“Will be just fine,” Lee finished, pressing kisses along the inside of Gaara’s thighs. “Or would you rather we stop?”

Gaara shook his head frantically. “No! Don’t stop!”

Lee chuckled, his hot breath making Gaara’s member twitch. “As you wish.”

The redhead had been expecting his cock to be licked, teased, and then swallowed. He was surprised, enough so to let out a startled yelp, when Lee’s slick tongue lapped it’s way around and down his balls. A strong hand came and grabbed his thigh, lifting it up until the raven had a good view of his entrance, the tight ring twitching in anticipation. Gaara’s pale fingers wrapped into the other’s hair when that tongue lightly made its way over the pink flower.

“Lee, I-I didn-ngh-t clean there!” Gaara gasped, trying not to shiver at the sensation the other was making.

“It’s clean enough,” Lee said huskily, letting his tongue run over the spot again.

Gaara couldn’t stop his shiver this time. “It could b-be dirty-AH!”

Having a tongue probe your ass was a feeling that Gaara would never be able to describe well enough for another to understand should he ever have to someday. Especially Lee’s tongue. Gaara had experimented kissing with others before he and Lee had become an official couple and there was something…smooth about the taijutsu master’s tongue. Almost as if his taste buds didn’t exist. Like it was made of the smoothest silk.

Said thing moving around inside of him was a strange and wonderful feeling at the same time. His hips eagerly pressed down, hoping to get the muscle further inside. Lee moaned softly, the sound vibrating up into Gaara, making the redhead shiver in delight. His leg was still raised and the other was starting to grow shaky from keeping his weight up and the sensations racing through his body and nerves. Lee noticed this and pulled away, once again making Gaara whine unhappily.

Lee stood back up, his fingers running over Gaara’s skin slowly, praising every inch with each touch. Gaara’s skin was always so soft. Maybe it was for the fact that his sand armor acted as a cloth against his skin, rubbing away all of the dead skin. The fact that his lover had never been marked with a scratch or cut was another reason for his skin being so smooth. He could only stare at the redhead, memories of the battles they had shared running through his head.

“Lee?” Gaara asked softly, trying to pull the other out of his daze. His fingers left the silky raven locks and placed themselves on the side of the taijutsu master’s face.

Snapping back to the present, Lee glanced over Gaara’s face before he grinned and leaned forward, pressing his lips gently to the other’s. Gaara hummed softly and closed his eyes, letting the other lead him, his arms resting on the other’s shoulders. He didn’t deny the other when a questing tongue pushed its way into his mouth. His leg lifted and wrapped itself around Lee’s waist, trying to portray his urgency. He needed the other and he needed him now.

A tube of lube was always hidden in the kitchen drawer and Lee grabbed it immediately. Fingers were coated thoroughly and brought to Gaara’s entrance, circling the tight ring before pressing inside. Gaara’s breath hitched, but he didn’t tense. Instead he pushed down on the finger, inviting and enticing it to come in further. It responded to just that, pushing in deeper and deeper, caressing Gaara’s insides and mapping out every detail.

Soon it was two, then three fingers, the digits stretching and pushing Gaara to his limit. He whimpered quietly in their kiss, letting Lee know that he needed him inside, filling him up and slamming into him. Lee complied, gently pulling his fingers free of Gaara’s tight heat. He lifted Gaara’s other leg and wrapped the two securely around him, positioning his erection at the twitching hole. He paused and looked up at Gaara, smiling at the flush of the other’s face.

“Ready?” he whispered.

Gaara nodded. “Ready.”

Without another word, Lee thrust in. Gaara’s head was thrown back, hitting the wall behind him. He couldn’t breathe for a moment, the sudden movement having caused him to lose his breath. He was filled, completely, with Lee’s length. It was amazing and it made him feel whole. The fact that he could tell that Lee was buried to the hilt inside of him made him shiver, the action making Lee moan. Gaara grinned slightly then pushed down, letting the other know he was ready once again.

The pace was fast and furious. Gaara couldn’t stop the soft cries that would leave his lips when Lee would strike his prostate. It was the most wonderful thing in the world to feel. And yet, as they continued, he couldn’t help but feel that for a moment, they were being watched. Yet the thought was absurd and he shoved it to the side, paying more attention to more important things, like the man holding him and filling him.

Both came quickly, Gaara’s seed splattering over their stomachs and chests while Lee’s filled him to the brim. The two simply sat there for a moment before Lee carefully slipped to the floor, holding Gaara in his arms like he would break if handled to roughly. They panted heavily before they separated, Gaara clenching his ass to keep the cum inside. He loved the feeling that it brought, that slick, sticky liquid. Both agreed on having a quick shower before they went to meet Neji at the training fields.

The two raced over, Lee knowing he was late, and Gaara feeling slightly bad that he had been the cause of the delay. Yet Lee’s words of how he was more important ran through his mind and made a warm, fuzzy feeling spread across his body. He loved the effect that Lee had on him and his emotions. Whenever he was even the slightest bit depressed or upset, Lee knew exactly what to do to make him happy and content.

“Neji! I am so sorry I am late!” Lee called, running up to his friend’s side. “I really am sorry. I will make it up to you, no matter how long it takes me! I swear! I’ll do two thousand push ups if I can not make this up to you.”

Neji looked over at the arriving pair and flushed slightly, though his features remained the same. “I-It’s fine Lee. Don’t worry about it.”

Shikamaru looked like he was going to burst into a fit of laughter any minute and Gaara had to wonder why. A snicker left the Nara’s lips and the red head was sure he immediately regretted it as the Hyuuga had hit him upside the head. The white eyed nin’s face, however, grew a darker shade of red. Gaara looked over at Lee and saw that he too was confused.

“What is going on?” Gaara asked, frowning slightly.

“Noth-“Neji had started, but was interrupted by Shikamaru.

“Oh, we came by to get Lee earlier,” Shikamaru smirked, ignoring Neji’s horrified expression. “When you didn’t answer your door, Neji used Byakugan and saw the two of you doing it in the kitchen.”

“Wh-What?” Lee stuttered, turning as deep a crimson as his best friend.

Gaara, on the other hand, was furious. Why, he couldn’t say, but he was. His eyes darted towards Neji, the Hyuuga’s gaze glued to Shikamaru. It was then that he had decided that the man’s eyes had to be taken out. His sand surged forward and would have reached Neji had Lee not stepped in the way. The taijutsu master had grabbed his stunned friend and was carrying him around the field, begging and pleading with Gaara to calm down and stop trying to kill Neji.

When he had finally calmed down, his sand returning to its gourd, Gaara found Shikamaru rolling on the ground with laughter. What was so funny about him trying to kill the Nara’s fiancé he didn’t know, but he was determined to ignore and forget about the whole situation. Lee came over to his side immediately, making sure that he was calm and that he wouldn’t attack Neji again, while the Hyuuga fumed and cursed the Nara lying on the ground.

The next day had been awkward, but as the Kazekage, his behavior had been deplorable. He apologized to Neji, though it was stiff, and promised to forget about the whole situation if he would. Neji readily agreed, apologizing and bowing low, but not before he sent a rather stern look towards Shikamaru. By the looks of it, the Nara had either received a lecture and a beating, or had been given the cold shoulder, as he remained completely silent and made no movements other than a slight tilt of the lips.

Why Gaara had attacked Neji and not Shikamaru, he didn’t know. After all, Shikamaru had been as much an offender that Neji had. That and he had constantly been amused by the whole situation. He’d have to find a way to get back at Shikamaru sometime. Right now, however, he was just heading back to their apartment, vowing to never have sex again during the day. Especially with people like the Hyuuga’s running around.

“Um, well, that was…adventurous,” Lee said cautiously, chuckling nervously.

“You weren’t bugged by it?” Gaara asked, still slightly upset. “At all?!”

“Gaara,” Lee softly smiled, caressing the redhead’s cheek. “It was a mistake. Neji didn’t mean to catch us. I’m sure he’ll never do something like that ever again.”

Gaara snorted. “Neither are we.”

Lee froze. “Wha-? What do you mean by that?! Are you saying that you’ll never have-“

Gaara sighed. “No, Lee, that’s not what I meant. What I meant was that we’re not ever going to be having sex, in the kitchen or anywhere else, during the day, ever again.”

Lee blinked. “You’re…really bothered by this aren’t you?”

Gaara blushed. “Of course I am! I’ve never had my private life invaded before!” He crossed his arms and pouted. Or at least, it was as close to a pout as he ever got.

“Alright, alright, I understand,” Lee said, raising his hands in a defensive gesture. “No more sex during the day.”

Gaara nodded and continued on his way back to their apartment, only to be stopped when a pair of arms wrapped around him and a hand groped his groin.

“That doesn’t mean I won’t try to change your mind, however,” Lee whispered in his ear, giving it a rather sensual lick. Then he was off running, laughing as Gaara’s sand chased after him, ready to give him a punishment for embarrassing the Kazekage once again.


	5. Side Story 5 (Shikamaru/Neji)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one doesn't really fall in the timeline of the story, but it was based off of the line Shikamaru says at the end of Chapter 17. This was one of my favorite ones to write, I do remember that. Enjoy!

“Hey, Neji-“

The Hyuuga looked over to his fiancé and frowned at the look on his face. He knew that look from anywhere. “No. Absolutely not, Shikamaru.”

“Oh come on,” Shikamaru smirked. “It would be fun.” He slowly turned and started to crawl towards the white eyed nin when the Nara’s mother came back into the room.

Yoshino didn’t even notice her son snapping back to his position on the couch, sitting up right like the man beside him. Shikaku came in after her, sitting down across from the couple on another couch, next to his wife. He’d been surprised, like Shikamaru, when Yoshino had invited Neji over for lunch. He’d been happy though, watching as his wife was trying to make a move in accepting the fact that Neji and Shikamaru were getting married.

Neji would have laughed at Shikamaru’s actions if he hadn’t been concerned with pleasing his mother. “Thank you for inviting me here today. I’m very much honored to be here in your home.”

“Oh,” Yoshino smiled, though it wasn’t entirely sincere, “I thought it would be nice to sit here together and have lunch as…a family.”

Neji knew the woman really didn’t fully mean the words, but it still make him warm inside. He bowed politely once again. “Nonetheless, I thank you profoundly.”

Yoshino stared at him for a moment before she sharply turned her eyes to her son. “Why can’t you be that polite?”

Shikamaru yawned. “I only do as I’ve been taught.”

Neji resisted the urge to smack his fiancé’s arm, choosing to send a glare instead. He really would have to work on the man’s manners. “I-I’m sure he could be, if he wasn’t so…laid back.”

The Nara woman snorted. “If there’s anyone who knows how lazy he is, it’s me.”

“Yes, I’m sure,” Neji nodded, doing his best not to laugh.

“And don’t you try to make his faults sound so simple all the time,” Yoshino ordered, looking terribly serious, ignoring her son as he rolled his eyes. “They’re the worst they can be. He’s lazy, not laid back.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Neji was going to have to get used to using terms that weren’t polite to use in front of Shikamaru’s parents. It would seem they didn’t want the formality.

“Don’t let her whip you too soundly, Neji,” Shikamaru muttered, resting his head in his chin.

“It’s called being respectful and agreeable, Shikamaru,” Neji informed, trying to keep his voice from sounding too cold or harsh. “You should try it.”

Shikamaru shrugged. “Eh, too much work.”

Neji loved the Nara, he had no doubts, but there were times that he would definitely try Neji’s patience. Wisely, he remained silent after that, choosing not to say anything that would make him lose his cool. He watched as his fiancé grabbed a grape and popped the fruit into his mouth, the noise of the squish the only sound echoing through the room. Neji wanted so badly to squirm in discomfort, but resisted the urge. It had gotten very awkward very quickly.

“Ah, well, I’m going to see if the bread’s done,” Yoshino stated, standing up. “Please, excuse me.” Shikaku excused himself as well, following after his wife into the kitchen, sending a look to Shikamaru that was easily read as “behave”.

Slowly, Neji let out a deep sigh, his eyes closing as his body lost its tension. Shikamaru, however, didn’t seem to be bothered by the tension in the room at all. Snapping his eyes open, Neji gave his fiancé a good smack on the arm. “You should be more polite towards your parents.”

“Why?” Shikamaru asked, raising a brow and rubbing his sore arm.

“They’ve taken care of you for so many years, they deserve at least that,” Neji stated. “Even coming from someone as lazy as you.”

It was rare for anything to truly grate on Shikamaru’s nerves, but Neji seemed to be hitting the spot today. “It’s not as if you would know.”

Neji was stunned. Never, in his entire life, had anyone ever said something so pointed about him not having the company of either of his parents. Blinking, he turned his attention back to the coffee table, not sure of what he should say or do next. The comment had stung, terribly so. Why Shikamaru had said something so hurtful, he’d never know, but it hurt. He chewed on the inside of his bottom lip, trying to keep his emotions under control.

Shikamaru had realized his error the moment the words had sprung from his mouth and Neji’s silence was only a confirmation of that. “Neji, look, I-“

“Don’t,” Neji said softly, which was so uncharacteristic for him that it made the Nara pause, even if it was just momentarily. “I should not…lecture about points I don’t fully understand. You have my apologies.”

The Nara hated that part of his fiancé. Hated the part the reverted to nothing put polite formality when he was hurt. It was an almost mechanical form a speech in his mind. It was Neji’s fail-safe when he was at a loss of what to say or do. It was the only indication that Shikamaru would ever receive that he’d really and truly caused the Hyuuga pain, whether it was of the physical, mental, or emotional kind. This time it was clearly the emotional. The words were always colder when that part was hit.

“Neji, I was out of line-“Shikamaru started, only to be interrupted again.

“As was I.”

Shikamaru sighed again and slapped his hand against his forehead, trying to think of a way to undo what he had just done. And the best way was to fluster the Hyuuga. He smirked. Oh yes, he could definitely deal with his fiancé’s hurt this way. He loved his quick brain sometimes. Leaning forward and grabbing one of the blood oranges from the fruit bowl, he started to peel it, acting as if he was going to forget the conversation they’d just had. And to a sense, he was.

Neji was partially disappointed that the other hadn’t tried harder to comfort him and it made the ache hurt even worse, as if making a statement that what Shikamaru had said was true. And it was, but not to the degree Neji was carrying it out. He didn’t even notice the Nara placing a piece of the blood orange in his mouth. At least, not until the other turned his head and shoved the other half into his mouth and started to kiss him.

The Hyuuga’s eyes snapped wide open and he tried to protest, only to have the Nara’s tongue slip inside his mouth. His hands moved to shove the other away, but Shikamaru had obviously anticipated that and his own hands moved to counter the action. His tanned fingers wrapped around Neji’s pale wrists and held them back, his head pushing forward to make sure that Neji couldn’t break the kiss, no matter what he did.

A loud protesting hum escaped Neji’s mouth as he was pushed back till he was lying on the cushions of the couch. He was trying to get Shikamaru to get off of him, but it wasn’t working and his mouth could only try and fight back in the kiss. Another protesting sound escaped his lips when a small trail of blood orange juices started to leak from the side of his mouth, slowly making its way down his chin and looking very much like the liquid the fruit was named after.

Shikamaru didn’t miss this and pulled away, leaving the other breathless. He quickly, but sensually traveled down the small trail, gathering all of the juice on his tongue. Neji, however, quickly finished the fruit in his mouth and started to protest Shikamaru’s actions verbally, only to make the Nara return and close his mouth again with his own. He tried to jerk his head away, which forced Shikamaru to place both of his wrists in one hand and the other coming and holding his head still.

When he realized that he wasn’t going to win this, Neji let out a frustrated breath from his nose, and started to kiss the other back. Maybe if he could get the other to loosen his grip, he could break away and then beat the other. Unfortunately, Yoshino and Shikaku just happened to return to the room right at that point. Neji’s eyes went as wide as they possibly could and he started to struggle once more, trying to get Shikamaru to notice his parents.

The younger man, however, seemed more entertained with his lips and mouth and continued to kiss him. That is, until he heard his mother’s screech.

“NARA SHIKAMARU!!!”

The kiss was immediately broken and Shikamaru turned around to find his mother a bright, angry red, her eyes burning. His father, however, seemed amused and was trying his best not to laugh. Neji quickly crawled out from underneath his fiancé and stood up, bowing respectfully, despite his embarrassed flush, and start to spit out apologies left and right. Yet Yoshino’s gaze was stuck on her son, who was scratching the back of his head.

“Troublesome,” he muttered, making his mother angrier.

“Young man, you are in so much trouble!” Yoshino bellowed, her gaze flickering.

Neji swallowed. Shikamaru was going to die. And he didn’t want to be around to see it. “I…I’ll just excuse myself. Thank you once again, Nara Yoshino and Nara Shikaku. It’s been…a pleasure.” With that said he turned to leave, embarrassed and scared as hell. He went directly home and shut himself in his room, sure he could hear Shikamaru’s mother all the way across Konoha. The lunch had been a complete and total disaster in his mind.

He was rather surprised when Shikamaru showed up at the Hyuuga estate later than evening. Surprised that his fiancé was still alive. He was, however, still angry that the other had felt that the only means of apologizing had been a kiss…no, a _make-out_ session on his mother’s couch. Hadn’t they talked about that somewhere before? Hadn’t he punched the other for the thought in the first place? Apparently, it hadn’t been hard enough.

“Neji, come on, listen to me,” Shikamaru pleaded.

“Are you going to kiss me again to apologize?” Neji asked sternly.

Shikamaru smirked slightly. “Only if you want me to.”

Neji glowered and turned to walk away, only to be stopped by Shikamaru. “Let go of me.”

“I was teasing,” the Nara stated, gently pulling Neji back towards him. “I was only trying to lighten the mood.”

“It didn’t work, apparently,” the Hyuuga said coldly.

The younger nin sighed before he wrapped his arms around the other, resting his head on Neji’s shoulder. “I’m really sorry, OK? I didn’t mean to say something that was so rude to you yesterday.”

Neji closed his eyes. He wanted to hang onto his hurt and make Shikamaru suffer, but he’d already forgiven the other for the comment he had made. “I forgive you.”

A small breath of relief left Shikamaru’s lips. “Good.”

“What about the kiss?”

Shikamaru paused. “What about it?”

“Aren’t you going to apologize for that?”

“No.”

Neji frowned. “Why not?”

“Because you started to give in towards the end,” the Nara smirked.

“It was going to be an attempt to get you off,” Neji blushed. “Your parents just happened to come in before I could do anything about it.”

“Oh really?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm,” Shikamaru said thoughtfully. “Well, I suppose you could say that mom handed out a decent punishment for you.”

Neji raised a brow and turned to face the other. “What did she do?”

The Nara shook his head. “I’m not telling you.”

“Oh?” Neji asked, smirking. “Was it that terrible?”

“No, it was just…embarrassing.”

Neji almost snickered. Almost. “I thought you didn’t have a care in the world. So how could anything be embarrassing for you?”

“When it involves…you know what, I’m not telling you,” Shikamaru stated. “You were close though.”

Neji pouted. “Was it really that bad?”

“Let’s change the subject…”

~*~*~*~*~*~

“You know, you never did tell me what happened, Shikamaru,” Neji stated, snapping away from the memory.

Shikamaru raised a brow. “And you think I’m going to tell you now?”

“I don’t see why it would matter now,” Neji said, walking over and sitting down next to his husband on their couch, “if I knew or not.”

“I’m not telling you,” Shikamaru stated. “End of story.”

“Maybe I should just ask your mother,” Neji huffed.

“Don’t you even dare.”

“Why not? Maybe I’d like to use it in my favor sometime.”

Shikamaru smirked and looked at Neji in a rather predatorily way. “Oh? And then have me think of someway to get back at you for it? Is that what you want, koi?”

Neji blushed. “Don’t call me that.”

The younger nin chuckled, leaning over and pressing Neji down onto the couch. “Why not? It gets you to blush every single time and I like calling you that.”

“It’s embarrassing to be called that!” Neji frowned, squirming underneath his lover.

“But you can’t deny that it gets you excited,” Shikamaru whispered leaning closer.

“Because you always starting doing perverted stuff after you say it,” Neji responded softly, watching as Shikamaru’s lips grew closer to his own. He hated the fact that other still had such a strong spell over him.

Shikamaru’s grin morphed into a sly smile as he reached down and cupped the Hyuuga’s growing erection. “So you’re saying that you’re excited for what happens? Maybe I should call you that more often.”

“Shikamaru,” Neji moaned, unable to keep his hips on the couch.

For the time being, the Nara was willing to use this as a distraction. After all, if he could help it, he was going to keep what had happened to him a mystery to his lover forever, just to irk him. And as far as he could tell, he was going to have fun with it for a very long time.


	6. Side Story 6 (Sasuke/Naruto)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes I read over these and feel like I've written a script for a porno... I hope you will enjoy this chapter nonetheless! haha It ties in with Chapter 18 of TWTA!

Sasuke smirked as the Hyuuga climbed out of the hot spring and turned his attention to the blonde sitting next to him. Naruto let out a squeak when his hand came and rested on the inside of his tanned thigh and he glared at his lover. Sasuke merely smirked and moved closer, not caring if Neji turned around and looked at them or not. He leaned in slowly and pressed a gentle kiss to Naruto’s cheek, slow and soft before he pulled away.

“We’ve got the spring all to ourselves now,” he whispered, sliding his hand further up Naruto’s leg. “Isn’t there anything you’d like to do?”

“S-Sasuke, they’ll hear us,” Naruto complained, trying to keep his boyfriend’s hand away from his groin.

“I think they’ll be too busy with each other to hear us,” the Uchiha purred, cupping the blonde’s hardening member. “And you’re getting excited.”

“It’s not my fault,” Naruto pouted, his own hand trying to pull Sasuke’s away. “Doing something like this…in a public place makes it more…dangerous.”

Sasuke smirked. “So it does. You like dangerous situations then? Do you ever get hard on a mission?”

Naruto groaned as the raven’s hand stimulated his cock to grow harder. “Nnh…that’s not fair…asking me while…I’m in this state…”

The Uchiha chuckled. “Oh? What would you call fair?” He continued to palm the other, his own member growing stiffer in excitement. He leaned forward and pressed his lips against blonde’s ear. “Are you saying you want me to stop?”

“Don’t…stop,” Naruto moaned, his hips jerking slightly upwards. His fingers were clutching at the stones they sat on and his breath was coming out in soft pants.

Sasuke’s smirk grew and his fingers moved till they were wrapped loosely around Naruto’s cock. The blonde groaned softly and let his head fall back in pleasure, gasping softly when the Uchiha immediately latched onto his throat. His hand rose from the water and gripped Sasuke’s shoulders, trying to find a semblance of balance and stability. The rocks were slick underneath him and he was starting to lose his ability to simply sit on them.

“Sasuke, I-I’m going to slip,” Naruto said softly, his toes gripping at the base of the spring.

“We can’t have that, now can we?” Sasuke asked, teasing the skin of Naruto’s ear, loving the shiver that ran through the blonde’s body. “Should we move to a more…stable position?”

“Stable…position?” Naruto questioned, panting lightly.

Sasuke smirked again and moved both of them across the spring to where Shikamaru and Neji had been sitting. The stones were wider underneath the water here and Sasuke was sure that Naruto couldn’t complain about slipping here. Setting the blonde down, he wiggled his way in between Naruto’s legs, still lightly stroking and teasing the stiff organ in his hand. The blonde whined as he squirmed on his new seat, fighting between pushing Sasuke away or pulling him closer.

“You know you want this,” Sasuke whispered into his ear before he started nibbling on Naruto’s lobe. “Don’t deny it.”

“Of course I want it!” Naruto exclaimed breathlessly. “I’m just not sure I want it _here,_ in the spring.”

The Uchiha gave a light squeeze to the blonde’s member, loving the sharp gasp that left his mouth before he leaned back and looked into those bottomless blue eyes. Gently, he captured Naruto’s lips, massaging and loving them with his own, trying to help the other relax. After all, if he didn’t relax, there was no way Sasuke was going to enter him. And he desperately wanted to, despite being in a public area where anyone could see them.

He licked the seam of the blonde’s lips, eliciting a gasp from the other before his tongue slipped inside. His slick muscle stroked Naruto’s into the act of their kiss, his hand getting tighter and tighter around the member as he went. Naruto was trembling at his touch, though his response to their kiss was eager and confident. Suddenly an idea occurred to him and Sasuke pulled away from their kiss, licking Naruto’s lips before he stopped everything completely.

“S-Sasuke?”

Smirking, the raven released Naruto’s member in favor of spreading Naruto’s legs apart. Closing his eyes and breathing deeply, he dunked his head into the warm water. His hands helped led his face towards Naruto’s groin and before the blonde could move or protest, Sasuke swallowed him, completely. Naruto’s fingers curled into his hair and tried to jerk him back above the surface, but he wasn’t budging until he had to. That and this was a new experience. He only hoped Naruto enjoyed it.

Above the water’s surface, Naruto’s jaw was slack and his breathing irregular. Sasuke was giving him head…under water. His legs were twitching and trying to close, but Sasuke’s hands and head were in the way. But gods did it feel good! He moaned when he felt Sasuke give him a light suck, wondering how the other had managed to do it and not come up choking. His fingers tightened in Sasuke hair and tried to bring him back up, but the raven stayed down.

After a few moments had passed, Naruto began to get worried. Sasuke only heard garbled noises before he started to move up and down on the blonde’s cock. Sure, he didn’t have much more air in his lungs and he’d have to pop above the surface for a breath soon, but this was new and he kind of liked it. It added an element of excitement to the routine. Not that giving Naruto oral before had been boring, but new things tended to get him excited.

Naruto was panting when Sasuke finally came up for some air, his body quivering from the fact that he had held back his release. He had wanted to come. Wanted to fill the raven’s mouth with his essence and make him swallow it, but that would have been dangerous to his lover so he had fought the urge. He was very desperate for relief however and he looked over at the Uchiha, watching as water ran down his face from his drenched hair.

“Did it feel good?” Sasuke asked, pushing himself closer to the blonde’s body.

“Sasuke, if you could breathe underwater, I’d make you do that everyday,” Naruto answered.

Sasuke chuckled. “I suppose it was then. Now I need you to do something for me, Naruto.”

The blonde pouted. He was eager to find release! “What?”

“I need you to prepare yourself for me,” Sasuke said huskily. “That or prepare my cock so I can slide right up your ass.”

Naruto moaned and pushed Sasuke back lightly, forcing the raven to stand up. He slid forward onto his knees till the Uchiha’s cock was resting before his eyes. Licking his lips, he reached forward and wrapped his fingers around the base of the organ, stroking it gently as his tongue flicked out against the head. Seeing this as Naruto’s answer, Sasuke smirked and leaned forward, sliding his hand down Naruto’s back till he reached the globes of the blonde’s butt underneath the water.

It wasn’t a very deep spring now that he thought about it as the water came up to the middle of his thigh when he was standing. Shrugging mentally, his hands continued their trek till one of his fingers was poking at Naruto’s back entrance. The blonde wiggled at the touch as his mouth took in Sasuke’s member, slowly coating the organ with his saliva. He moaned when the digit pushed its way inside and his hips reflexively started to push back against it.

Sasuke’s member throbbed in Naruto’s mouth at the sight. Gods, could the blonde get any hotter? He let his finger slide in and out of the other for a moment before he pushed a second finger in, slowly scissoring the two. Naruto hummed softly and Sasuke had to bite his lip. If the blonde kept doing that, he was going to end up spilling himself. Not liking that idea, he started to stretch the other faster, adding a third then a fourth finger to the mix.

When he deemed the other done, he slipped his fingers out and pulled away from the other, not missing the disappointed whine that left the blonde’s lips. Grinning, he pushed Naruto back up on to the rock seat and lifted his legs. Without warning or hesitation, he pressed his head up against the tight pucker and slipped it inside, reveling in the feeling of Naruto’s warmth. His lover gasped at the sudden intrusion but managed to not tense in surprise.

Slowly and tenderly, Sasuke pushed himself inside, stopping only when a soft whimper would leave Naruto’s lips. Soon, he was fully sheathed inside of the other, his balls pressing against the skin of Naruto’s backside. The blonde was clinging to the sides of the spring, panting and gasping for air. His legs were quivering and his body trembling at the feeling of being filled so deeply and intimately. He loved it and he knew that the raven loved it as well.

“N-Naruto,” Sasuke whispered, panting lightly. “I’m g-going to move…”

“Oh, please,” Naruto smiled, wiggling slightly, “please do. Fast and…hard, please!”

Groaning, Sasuke pulled himself back, almost all the way out before slamming his hips forward, burying himself deep inside of the blonde quickly. Naruto’s body jerked at the action and his head flew back as his prostate was stimulated. Sasuke always knew right were to hit him. His mouth opened in a silent scream and he knew it wouldn’t be long till he was done. Sasuke repeated the action and soon a heavy, hot pace was set.

They were lucky that Shikamaru and Neji were also preoccupied or there would have been no doubt that they were being heard. Or rather, Naruto was being heard. Sasuke loved and hated the noisy side of his lover. Loved it because it only served to turn him on even further. Hated it because if someone were to find out about them, it would be through Naruto. And he didn’t want to take the chance of being found until they were ready.

“Ugh…Sasuke! F-Faster!” Naruto gasped, clinging to his pale boyfriend. “Please, go f-faster!”

Sasuke growled and leaned forward, burying his teeth into Naruto’s skin as he started to pound into his lover. Naruto shrieked in delight and pain as his fingers dug into Sasuke skin. It was only seconds later that he was screaming Sasuke’s name, releasing his load in between the two of them and into the waters of the spring. Sasuke groaned as the blonde’s tight passage clamped around him and he came after a few more thrusts into the other.

The two panted against each other, Naruto into the raven’s neck while the Uchiha gasped for breath over Naruto’s head, his chin resting lightly in blonde hair. He smiled after a few minutes had passed and held Naruto even closer to him. The water felt only lukewarm now and their bodies were slick from the steam and sweat. But it was worth it. Every single uncomfortable feeling was worth all the bliss and happiness they shared.

“Should we get out now?” Naruto asked softly, his arms hanging loosely around Sasuke’s waist.

“Hmm, probably,” the Uchiha stated, smirking. “I’m sure the ladies are going to want to clean the pool after what we’ve just done.”

Naruto flushed bright red. “S-Sasuke!”

The raven merely chuckled. “Oh, you know they didn’t hear us. If they did it was your fault.”

“Only because it felt good.”

Sasuke’s member twitched and he pulled out of the other just so it wouldn’t get hard again. At least, so it wouldn’t get hard with Naruto knowing it was. Sasuke was far from done for the evening. Maybe the water portion of the day was over but he certainly wasn’t. Naruto sighed softly as he did so and nuzzled the pale skin before him before licking at it. Sasuke’s breath stopped in his throat and he pulled away, raising a brow in question.

“Dobe, are you trying to get me hard again?”

Naruto’s face twisted into a shy smile. “Maybe. You’re so damn easy to get hard though, teme.”

Sasuke snorted and stood up, trying to remember where he left his towel. Upon finding it he slipped the soaked thing around his waist, tying it to the side and effectively hid his growing erection for the time being. Turning to his lover he found the blond shakily crawling out of the spring, his towel wrapped around his waist as well. Sasuke smirked when he managed to see his cum sliding out of the blonde’s hole and his member twitched heartily as an idea bloomed in his mind.

Maybe he was easy to get hard, but with the image before him, who could blame him?

Following his lover, Sasuke entered their room, closing the sliding panel before he practically tackled his lover. Naruto let out a sharp, short sound of surprise as he was pulled to the ground, his hand flying in front of him to break his fall. He pushed himself to his knees and was about to ask his teme what he was doing when the Uchiha’s tongue suddenly ran up his thigh. He half-heartedly struggled in the raven’s grip, moaning and shivering when the slick muscle reached his back entrance.

Sasuke shoved his tongue as far as it could reach inside, swirling it around and tasting his own essence. Naruto was whimpering and wiggling at the feeling. No matter how many times the raven did this to him, it was always a weird thing. His hips started to push back after a few moments and Sasuke smiled against Naruto’s skin. The blonde was so wanton when it came to sex. He finished tonguing the other before he pulled back and placed his hard member at the hole again.

“S-Sasuke, don’t-!” Naruto gasped, trying to pull away.

“You know you don’t really want me to,” Sasuke smirked, pushing himself in. “You want me inside, slamming into you and making you mine.”

Naruto moaned and shivered at the words. “Oh, don’t say it like that.”

“Why not?” Sasuke teased. “You seem to like it, especially here.” His arms wrapped around Naruto’s waist, one reaching and wrapping around his hardening member. Naruto groaned loudly and pumped himself into the hand, pulling off of Sasuke only to push himself back on with the steady movements. Sasuke let him continue on his own, curious to see what Naruto would do to get him to start moving. It was extremely pleasurable though.

“Damn it, teme, move!” Naruto ordered after a couple of minutes had passed.

Sasuke readily did as he was told, pulling his hips back only to snap them forward. Naruto cried out in pleasure and the Uchiha more then readily continued on with the movements. Occasionally he would hear a cry from Neji’s and Shikamaru’s room, but ignored it so he could more readily focus on the body beneath his own. He was sure that if anyone were to walk in right now, they’d look like two dogs in heat, but he really didn’t care.

“Oh yes!” Naruto gasped, rocking back against him. “Give me more!”

“You’re so wanton today,” Sasuke smirked, nibbling on the tan shoulders and back before him. “You were saying that you didn’t want it moments ago.”

“But I want it now!” Naruto cried out. “Feels…so good!”

“If you keep talking like that,” Sasuke grunted, “I’m going to end up slamming into you.”

“Do it!”

Sasuke’s hips thrust into the other harder and Naruto was practically yowling with pleasure. The Uchiha was surprised that they hadn’t been told to be quiet yet. He smirked. Then again, who would want to interrupt two people making love? It would be rather embarrassing for the invader, wouldn’t it? Naruto cried for him to go faster and harder and soon a frenzied pace was set. Sasuke wasn’t sure he could continue until Naruto came with a scream.

Gritting his teeth and the sudden onslaught of clamping muscles, he continued to thrust until he couldn’t hold back any longer. He whispered Naruto’s name to the air as he came, filling his lover with his seed. Naruto practically milked him dry and together they slumped to the floor in a sweaty, tired heap. Still buried inside the other, despite being soft, Sasuke pulled Naruto close to him, wrapping his arms around the blonde and resting his head against him

“Feel better?” Naruto asked, smirking. “You’ve been dying to do that for days now.”

“Weeks, Naruto,” Sasuke corrected. “Weeks.”

“Eh, days, weeks, what’s the difference,” Naruto shrugged sluggishly.

“Baka, there’s a big difference,” Sasuke snorted, holding back a yawn.

Pulling away from the other, Naruto groaned slightly as Sasuke slipped out of him, the raven’s cum leaking down his legs. He shakily got to his feet and headed towards the bathroom. He was going to shower and quickly. As much as he loved the dirty feeling after sex, he wanted to be clean as he enjoyed the bed in the room tonight. Sure, Sasuke’s bed was top notch, but this bed was just dying to be jumped into and slept in. And deeply he might add.

Sasuke followed the blonde into the shower and after one more romp, the two of them finally decided to go to sleep. Naruto snuggled up close to the raven immediately and Sasuke couldn’t stop the warm fluttering of his heart. It was so nice to be loved like this. The fact that it wasn’t just a one night stand made it even better. Grinning, he wrapped his arms around the blonde and held him close, letting their bodies sink into the mattress. He sighed softly as he started to drift to sleep. There was a big week ahead of them. He only hoped that it would turn out like he wanted it to.


	7. Side Story 7 (Sasuke/Naruto)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one ties in with Chapter 25, everyone! It technically takes place after the storyline of TWTA, but the idea was started in the chapter stated. This was a fun one to type out. Everyone is so crafty and out to get one another. haha

Sasuke couldn’t be more pleased with himself. The night after Hinata’s wedding party had been sensational. To the point of where several months later he was still grinning about it. Naruto had been a total whore for him and had begged and pleaded with him to keep going that night. In the morning the blonde had had one hell of a headache, but Sasuke had been more then pleased with himself to worry too much about it.

Even two weeks of receiving the cold shoulder from his boyfriend didn’t make him regret it or feel sorry.

Naruto had eventually given up on trying to make him apologize, but still sought for revenge. Every time the blonde would try, he’d fail before it could even begin and Sasuke would come out triumphant. The Uchiha was rather proud of himself and whenever he brought it up, Naruto would scowl and try to avoid him. It always made him laugh mentally when his face would twist as it tried to intimidate him. Yet it only served to make Sasuke laugh harder.

The thought would randomly pop into his head and at the moment, despite his grinning, he couldn’t help but wonder how it came to mind. He had been thinking about all of the problems that had happened in the last few months, mainly the whole near-death experience Neji had faced due to the hands of some rogue ninjas when the memory had jumped into his head. Why, he wasn’t sure, but he allowed it to play over and over in his mind. It was too good to truly forget.

Of course, he wasn’t going to tell Naruto that he was thinking about it. That was just asking for trouble. Instead, he continued to look around the dining room (hall would be more appropriate in his mind) of Shikamaru’s and Neji’s home. There were several one of a kind pictures that were catching his eye and he was finding that he was appreciating most of them when he wasn’t thinking about the memory of that wonderful night.

If only he had brought some of that powder with him tonight.

Neji had decided that he had wanted to throw a party and so here he was, enjoying a simple get together of some very close friends, mainly the rookie twelve. Of course, the party had been planned at a time when Gaara and his siblings were visiting so there were actually fifteen. It was a more formal party then what Sasuke had expected, but everyone was holding themselves up with the most surprising politeness and formality, despite their close friendships.

Sasuke took another sip of his red wine and savored the taste. He didn’t know where Neji had found it, but it was absolutely superb. He allowed the flavor to wash over his tongue, letting his taste buds catch all that they could before the liquid was swallowed. It was definitely an older wine and that made it all the more better. He tilted the glass back to take another sip and was disappointed to find that his glass was empty.

“Another glass, Uchiha?”

_Perfect timing, Neji, as always_ , Sasuke thought, turning to face the Hyuuga. “If you would, please.”

Neji merely grinned and poured the raven another glass of that delicious red wine. Sasuke tipped his head and raised his glass in thanks before he took another savory sip. He would have moaned at the taste if he had been alone. It was fruity, but still sharp in flavor, with a slightly wooden taste as well. It was wonderful.

“I hope you’re enjoying yourself,” Neji said, trying to create a conversation. Sasuke wasn’t a big social person and Neji wanted to make sure that the Uchiha received at least one conversation before the night was over for him.

“Immensely,” Sasuke replied, smirking. “I had never thought that Kiba could act so…courteous, considering what his personality is like.”

Neji smirked as well. “He’s not too different from Naruto, if you understand my meaning.”

Sasuke chuckled. “Oh, I understand it. So, what made you want to throw a party?”

Neji’s smirk turned into a soft smile. “I’ve…come to appreciate friends and family more. I wanted to let everyone know that.”

_A near death experience can do that to you_ , Sasuke affirmed mentally. “I completely understand.”

“You would be one who would,” Neji nodded, turning to look out at the other guests. Sasuke did the same and wasn’t surprised to find Naruto, Kiba, Chouji, and Shikamaru standing together.

“They’ll never separate from their pranking ways, will they?” Sasuke asked, taking another sip of his drink.

“No, I suppose they won’t,” Neji replied, glancing over at the Uchiha before a small smirk crawled onto his face. “Of course, we’d never ask them to change.”

Sasuke chuckled in agreement when a sudden wave of sleepiness ran across his consciousness. He blinked for a moment, trying to get rid of the slightly woozy feeling. He took another sip of his drink only to find that somehow it made it worse. Slightly confused, he tried to figure out what was going on. He had slept in this morning, very late. Why was he feeling tired? He hadn’t done anything taxing or stressful. In fact, it had been one of his days off.

“Sasuke, are you alright?”

The Uchiha was barely aware of the concern in Neji’s voice. If his mind had been clearer, he might have realized how fake it was. He merely shook his head and set the wine down on the dining room table. “I’m fine. Just…a little woozy.”

“Should I go get Naruto?”

“No,” Sasuke said immediately, sitting down. “If I sit down I should be back to normal in a flash.”

“If that’s what you believe,” Neji stated softly, mentally smirking, “then I shall leave you alone. I hope you do feel better.”

The problem didn’t get better though and several times Sasuke felt like he might black out. He watched as Naruto made his way over to him and when he saw the smirk in Naruto’s face, Sasuke knew exactly what was going on. He’d been drugged. At first he was angry, but then he was also impressed. Impressed that the blond had come up with something this clever. When he caught the look on Shikamaru’s face, however, Sasuke realized he was in very big trouble.

And then he fainted.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Sasuke woke up groaning softly. He tried to move his hands so he could wipe the weariness from his eyes, but they wouldn’t budge. Blinking, Sasuke tried to move them again, only to feel something tighten around his wrists as he pulled them. It was then he realized that his arms were tied behind his back. He struggled for a moment, trying to find a weak spot of the bindings only to fail. He frowned when he realized he was wearing his ANBU gloves.

He looked down at himself and his eyes widened as he took in the site. His legs were bent and bound so his feet were up by the top of his legs and his knees were being held up by his chest. His bindings were of soft leather so his skin wouldn’t be rubbed raw and he was grateful for that. Upon further inspection, he realized that there was no way he could move in any direction as he was bound to his bed by more strong leather straps. He was naked as well, his gloves the only form of clothing on him.

The creak of the door alerted him that someone was coming his way and he panicked, even if it was for just a short moment. He watched as the blonde walked into the room carrying a rather large black box, and he wondered what was inside it. He didn’t like the leering look on Naruto’s face as the blonde turned to face him and he knew he was in trouble. Very big, very bad, and possibly very painful trouble. It looked like Naruto was going to torture him.

If only he knew what was to come.

“Comfortable, Sasuke?” Naruto asked nonchalantly as he made his way to the bed.

Sasuke frowned slightly. “Naruto, what are you doing?”

“What does it look like I’m doing?” Naruto asked innocently.

“Enough games. You’ve embarrassed me, I can see that. Let me go.”

“Let you go?” Naruto asked, raising a brow. “Oh Sasuke, I’m not going to do any such thing.”

Sasuke felt a shiver race up his spine at the look his lover was giving him. “Oh?”

Naruto smirked and walked back over to the black box opening it and searching the contents inside. Sasuke’s eyes widened when he saw some of the things Naruto was pulling out. A dildo? Egg-shaped vibrators? A strip of black silk? What was his boyfriend going to do to him? He instinctively tried to get out of his bindings again, but found that he couldn’t move at all. He was stuck and he was completely at Naruto’s mercy. That could be a very bad thing.

“First things first,” Naruto grinned. “I only want you to feel and hear what I’m going to do to you tonight.”

With swift movements, the blonde wrapped the cloth around Sasuke’s eyes, effectively blindfolding him. Sasuke immediately protested, trying his best to writhe and find a way out of his predicament. He continued to struggle when he felt Naruto get off of the bed and heard the rustling of the items in the black box. What else did he have in there? Sasuke wasn’t sure he wanted to find out. He stiffened when the blonde returned, sitting so close he could feel the heat from his body.

“Now, let’s have a little fun, hm?”

Sasuke gasped when his limp member was swallowed completely in the blonde’s mouth. He whimpered, whined and did anything and everything he could think of to get away, but he knew he couldn’t. He was soon moaning at the feeling and his hips were managing to thrust up slightly into Naruto’s mouth. Gods, if this was Naruto’s punishment and revenge for that one night, he was not going to complain or hate it.

After several minutes, he knew he was soon going to cum and through his gasping moans he managed to tell the other. Naruto only sucked harder on his erection and Sasuke was crying out at the feeling. It was far too good and he knew he wasn’t going to last long. Yet before he could spill himself inside of his lover’s mouth, something cold was placed around the base of his cock, a soft click heard before it felt far too tight down there.

Sasuke groaned in frustration. “Naruto…”

“You think I was going to just let you come?” the blonde asked huskily. “Boy, you don’t really understand this payback business do you?”

Sasuke wasn’t given a chance to respond as his jaw was gently pulled open and a ring gag was slipped into his mouth. He grunted and tried to spit it out, but was too late as the gag was clasped tightly around his head. Naruto wasn’t lying when he said all he wanted him to do was hear and feel tonight. His body quivered as gently fingers ran over his skin, stimulating him and his sense of touch. He squirmed when they teased his member, running lightly over his balls and cock.

Then he felt something being pressed in between his two balls. It was hastily taped into place, and Sasuke couldn’t help but wonder what it was. Four more were taped onto his cock and the Uchiha was thoroughly confused. Then something was covering his cock, like a tight cover, pressing whatever it was on his member closer. He could hear the faint sound of a zipper and quickly deduced that Naruto had completely covered his cock and balls in some sort of leather casing meant exactly for what it was doing.

He cried out in shock when the things taped to him started to vibrate. His thighs trembled at the pleasurable feelings of the vibrators and his hips wiggled in an attempt to gain more friction. Soft pants were coming from his open mouth and he knew that it was going to get dry later. He almost yelped when a cool, slick finger started to play with his asshole, swirling around the puckered entrance, warming up the lube with his increasing body heat.

“Oh, Sasuke, you look so hot right now,” Naruto moaned. “I should take a picture and let you see yourself.”

Sasuke merely grunted, as that was all he was really able to do, and stiffened when the finger pushed its way inside. He immediately relaxed, knowing that if he tensed, it was going to hurt like hell. The lubed finger wiggled inside of him and he couldn’t stop the small thrusting movements his hips made as the finger slowly pushed in and out. A second finger was added and Sasuke couldn’t believe how sensitive everything felt now that he couldn’t see.

He was whining with the need to release after a third finger was added to the mix and he could feel pre-cum flowing from his tip. The little leather sheath had an opening at the top allowing the room’s cool air to kiss it teasingly. He cried out again when the blonde’s lips wrapped around it, licking up his seed and delving into the slit, teasing him and torturing him. He was so distracted by that wicked mouth that he didn’t even realize that the other had slipped something hard and plastic up his ass.

A scream left his throat when it started to vibrate. The blonde had put a vibrator up his ass! He cried out as his wiggling made the hard object brush against his prostate. Gods, Naruto was going to kill him sexually. He was never going to come out of this alive. He already felt like he was going to explode, but with a cock ring around him, there was no way it was going to happen. Just how much further was the blonde going to go?

“Oh crap, I forgot something. You stay here and be a good boy, OK Sasuke? I’ll be right back.”

The Uchiha was vaguely aware of his lover getting up off the bed and the door to their room shutting. He groaned and tried to relax, despite the vibrations in his ass and around his cock and balls. Somehow, he felt that Naruto had done that one purpose, up and left him there. He was writhing with pleasure, the feeling of the vibrators sending shocks of pleasure racing up and down his spine. Yet, despite that, he really wanted to come and wanted it bad.

It felt like forever had passed before Naruto came back and Sasuke was slowly beginning to think that Naruto had forgotten about him. He nearly cried out in relief when he heard the door open, but froze when he heard more then one set of footsteps enter the room. He managed not to blush when he knew he was being stared at and instead continued to act like he didn’t even know they were there. At least, for as long as he could.

“Hey, Sasuke, feeling good? I came back as quickly as possible,” Naruto teased, running a loving finger down the side of the Uchiha’s pale cheek.

_Liar,_ Sasuke wanted to say, but could only think it at the moment.

“And see? I told you it was worth coming to see.”

“Dear gods above, that is hot…”

Sasuke blinked mentally. Was that…Neji?

“It would seem our plan was a success, Naruto. Does he know that this revenge isn’t only coming from you, but me as well?”

Now Sasuke was really confused. Why would Shikamaru want revenge?

“I can see by the look on your face that you’re confused, Uchiha. Don’t forget that the night of Hinata’s wedding you drugged me too. And for that Neji tied me up and-“

“Shikamaru! You don’t have to go into detail!”

Sasuke slowly remembered slipping some of the drug into Shikamaru’s water at the wedding and mentally smirked. He was glad that it had worked. He shifted slightly, only to make the dildo vibrator rub against his prostate. He moaned loudly and continued to wiggle. Gods, he needed to come, needed to come so badly. He whimpered softly when fingers danced along his stomach, barely touching the skin before they trailed to his weeping member. He was frequently moaning at this point.

“You guys want to stay and watch?” That was Naruto and Sasuke was shocked that he would offer such a thing.

“Oh yes. I want to see every minute of this.”

“I…I don’t think that’s a good idea, Shikamaru…”

“Huh? Why not, Neji?”

Sasuke could _feel_ the heat from Neji’s blush. “I’m…getting hard…”

“All the more reason we should stay. Of course, if Naruto has a problem of us having sex on the floor then we’ll go.”

“Nope, no problems with me. And if Sasuke wants to find release, he won’t mind either.”

Sasuke groaned and shook his head, trying to convey that he didn’t care. All he wanted was to come already!

“Then start your show, Naruto.”

Sasuke stiffened as he listened to Naruto stand up, the rustle of clothes and then the bed creaking again. He was going to have to fix that. His member twitched with excitement when he felt two, smooth thighs straddle his chest. His pants grew heavier and hotter and he wiggled his hips. He was so ready to come. But Naruto had other ideas and Sasuke gasped slightly when the blonde’s (or he assumed it was the blonde’s) hard cock slipped through the ring gag.

At first, he tried to spit it out, but when he realized that he wouldn’t be able to, he sucked heavily and tried to pull the member further into his mouth. He smiled at the moan that slipped from Naruto’s lips and he sucked harder. Naruto might have been the one to drug him and tie him up, but he was still the one in control. His tongue traced around the underside of Naruto’s cock, making the blond grab his hair in the midst of his pleasure.

Sasuke loved the way Naruto tasted. Leaning forward as best he could he took in more, relaxing his throat. Naruto got the idea and slowly pushed the last of his member deep inside Sasuke’s mouth. They both moaned at the same time and Sasuke tried to swallow the other further, were it possible. He wasn’t surprised when the blonde started to thrust in and out of his mouth quickly. He continued to let his tongue tease and toy with Naruto’s member, despite the torturous pleasure his own was receiving.

And yet, before Naruto released his seed, he pulled out of Sasuke’s mouth. The raven was vaguely aware of the sounds coming from the other couple, but was more concerned about what Naruto was doing with him. He tried to listen for any sounds, but the pants and groans coming from Neji and Shikamaru were proving to be very distracting. And very arousing. Sasuke wanted to cry. Gods, how much harder was Naruto going to make this?

“I hope you’re ready for this teme,” Naruto suddenly whispered into his ear, making him jump slightly.

Without warning, the blonde pulled the still vibrating dildo out of Sasuke’s back entrance and replaced it with his own cock. While Sasuke’s entrance adjusted to Naruto’s length, the blonde quickly removed Sasuke’s binding straps before he lifted the raven up off the bed. Sasuke groaned as the blonde’s cock throbbed inside of him. Naruto wasted no time and soon he was thrusting like a madman into the Uchiha, whose arms and legs were still bound.

During his pounding, Sasuke was turned around so he was facing away from his lover. He was surprised at the strength Naruto had in holding him up and thrusting, but he loved every minute of it. Why hadn’t he let the other take him before? Having the blonde slam into his prostate over and over was pure heaven. He squirmed in the blonde’s hold when he felt like he would explode from not being able to cum. He felt like he was going to die.

Quickly, Naruto reached down, removed the sheath and then each vibrator one by one. Soon the blindfold and gag were gone as well and Sasuke was crying out with each of his lover’s thrusts. With a shaky hand, Naruto reached down and fingered the cock ring, teasing and torturing Sasuke’s throbbing red member. A smirk crawled onto the Hokage’s face when Sasuke’s hips bucked into his touch, trying to get him to take off the ring.

“You’re a slut, you know that Sasuke?” Naruto asked between pants for air.

Sasuke nodded, willing to say anything that would give him release. “Yes, yes!”

“But you’re my slut, huh?”

“Yes, only your slut! Please Naruto! Oh gods, please!”

A soft click was heard before Sasuke was screaming at the top of his lungs, shooting his load. The violent spasms from his orgasm forced Naruto to come as well, who grunted as his seed filled the raven. Sasuke was still shooting by the time Naruto was done and when he finished he had no energy whatsoever. He slumped back against his lover, panting and gasping for breath. His hair was glued to his face and his eyes were shut. That was one of the best orgasms he had ever experienced.

“That…was very hot…”

Sasuke opened his weary eyes as he remembered that Naruto and he were not the only ones in the room. He glanced over to find Neji completely stripped and lying in Shikamaru’s lap, panting heavily with the Nara’s seed running down his thighs. Shikamaru looked overly pleased with himself. He was still wearing his pants, but they were down to his knees.

_Funny,_ Sasuke thought. _I always imagined Neji to be the top._

“Thanks for the show, Naruto,” Shikamaru said in his normal tone, though it sounded like he was a bit more pleased then he was showing. “And Sasuke, don’t try anything on me again or I’ll make sure that next time the drug won’t be an aphrodisiac. It’ll be something worse.” With a wave, he created the signs of a jutsu and disappeared with his lover and spouse.

Naruto was quick to clean up the area before he pulled his lover into the bed, wrapping his arms around the raven. Sasuke liked the change for once, so he didn’t protest. He snuggled up to the blonde before he looked up, immediately catching the attention of his blue-eyed lover. Naruto looked nervous and Sasuke could understand why. Smiling, he wiggled up slightly and pressed his lips to Naruto’s, glad that he was getting a response almost immediately. This was how the other knew that there were no hard feelings.

“You’re doing that to me again, dobe,” Sasuke said softly after he had pulled away.

“What? Tying you up and sexually torturing you?” Naruto asked, raising a brow.

“As fun as that was, no,” Sasuke smirked. “I meant the part where I took you up my ass.”

Naruto blinked. “You…don’t mind being the bottom?”

Sasuke shook his head. “No. We’re taking turns from now on.”

Naruto smiled. “Awesome.”

The Uchiha chuckled. “Good night Naruto. Sweet dreams.”

The blonde smirked. “I’ve already gotten my dream tonight.”

Sasuke smirked as well as his eyes slid shut. _I suppose you got your revenge as well…I wonder where Naruto got all of those sex toys…_


	8. Side Story 8 (Shikamaru/Neji)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shadow tentacles! haha It seems to be a reoccurring theme as long as Shikamaru is a part of the pairing, right? It just kind of has to happen. From this point forward, all of these stories take place after the events of TWTA. I hope you'll enjoy reading them!

He needed the day to end and he needed it to end _now._ Neji was glad that when he was guarding Naruto as ANBU he was supposed to stay hidden. He’d be terribly embarrassed if he were out in the open right now. After all, having a straining erection while wearing an ANBU uniform was not exactly intimidating. Why he was so desperate for Shikamaru’s touch today, he didn’t know, but he was going to do everything he could to avoid being seen.

After several minutes, he managed to calm himself down to the point of where it wasn’t visible and was glad that there was less then twenty minutes left in his shift. Shikamaru hadn’t come today, claiming that he wasn’t feeling good and didn’t want to pass on the germs if he was getting ill. Neji mentally snorted as he ran the excuse through his head again. Shikamaru wasn’t sick. He was just faking so he could get a day off and do nothing.

As it was, Sasuke had replaced the Nara today and Neji could tell that the other was anxious to end the day as well. He felt a flush rise on his cheeks and his member gave a hearty twitch as he remembered how he had last seen the Uchiha, stripped except for the ANBU gloves and tied up, being tortured by sexual toys. Calming himself down yet again, Neji’s mind led him to another thought. He wondered where Naruto had gotten the sex toys. There was only one shop like that in Konoha and the blonde was too young to get those kind of things.

The shift finally ended and Naruto threw his hat to the side in relief as his two ANBU bodyguards came out from their hiding spots. Sasuke had caught the blonde’s hat before it had flown out the window with casual grace. He slowly removed his mask before he leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to Naruto’s head, the blonde humming softly in appreciation. As much as he wanted to get home, Neji was really curious.

“Naruto, might I ask you a question?” the Hyuuga asked, pulling his mask to the side of his head.

The blonde shrugged. “Sure.”

“Where, and how, did you manage to get your hands on all of those sex toys?”

Sasuke smirked as a slight flush crept onto Naruto’s face. “Why? You want to borrow them?”

Neji raised a brow. “After you’ve been using them? Heaven’s no. I was merely curious.”

“Well, no one can blame you,” Naruto grinned sheepishly. “Ah, they…they were some of perverted sage’s belongings. In his ‘will’, or whatever you want to call it, he said all of his stuff was to go to me and well…there’s your answer.”

A nostalgic flicker had passed through the blonde’s eye at that moment and Neji was almost sorry he had brought it up. He opened his mouth to apologize, but Naruto waved it away, smiling happily. He told the Hyuuga that it wasn’t a big deal and that he shouldn’t worry about it any further. The memories he had were good ones and he’d always treasure them, even if most of them were of him trying to get Jiraiya away from doing perverted things.

“Go home, Neji,” Naruto added once he had finished. “It’s been a long week. I’m sure you’re anxious to get home to see how Shikamaru is doing.”

Neji’s cock gave a happy little twitch at the thought of his husband and he managed to avoid blushing. He really did need to get home. “Thank you.” He bowed respectfully before making the signs to jutsu home. He landed on their porch with a heavy sigh. He was tired and horny. It was the worst combination of feelings he’d ever had. Wanting to sleep and have sex at the same time was not something that was really accomplishable.

It took him a minute to realize that most of the lights in the house were off. Blinking, he quietly made his way to the door. Had Shikamaru been telling the truth about not feeling well? The lights in the house would be on if he had just been being lazy. Only the bedroom lamp was on from what he could see. He opened the door and walked in, not wanting to make too much noise just in case Shikamaru was sleeping. Maybe he shouldn’t have doubted the other.

He silently made his way up the stairs, sure to not make any noise (he was in the ANBU after all), and walked towards their bedroom. Slipping his mask to the back of his head, he quietly opened the door, peeking in towards the bed. But it was empty. Confused, Neji opened the door the rest of the way without hesitation. He walked into the room, setting his mask down on the dresser before he tried to think of where his lover could be. At his parents’ maybe? And why did their room smell like incense and other relaxing smells?

A sudden noise from behind him made him spin around, his hand reaching towards his weapons pouch. It was then he realized that he couldn’t move. His mind immediately began to panic, but he forced it to calm down. Shikamaru had to be in the room somewhere. After all, the only people who could make a person freeze like this were the Naras and as far as he knew Shikamaru’s father had no reason to come into their home and freeze him in place.

Against his will, his body was moved towards the bed and forced to lie down on his back. He felt his weapon pack and sword being pulling away and yet could do nothing about his. He struggled to move again and found that it only made whatever it was cling to him tighter. Then the tendrils began to grow around him. Inky black and shaped like tentacles, Neji could only watch as they slithered higher and higher into the air. He wasn’t sure what he should do.

He shivered when the tips began to draw light designs on his skin, his sandals being removed from his feet. And yet he wasn’t afraid. He knew he should be screaming for help, but something was helping him stay calm. He figured that somewhere there was incense burning and that was the cause for his relaxation. Shivers racked his body once again as the tendrils began to glide underneath his clothing. His arms and legs twitched as a reflex when he tried to move them, to see if he could possibly get away.

With a sudden burst of speed, the tendrils snapped around him, making it impossible for him to move. He wriggled and tried to get away, but the tendrils moved to bind him to the bed. One for each wrist and ankle. Before he could stop it, he was spread wide eagle on the bedspread, fighting to get up and away. And yet he still wasn’t scared. Yes, he didn’t like the situation, but he didn’t fear for his life. He continued to try and get away, not noticing the tentacles that were playing around the hem of his pants.

A sharp gasp left his mouth when they black tentacles started to slip inside of his pants. He opened his mouth to scream for them to stop, only to have one of the tendrils slip into his mouth, effectively gagging him. He screamed, but they only came out as muffled yells, his arms trying to pull up and away from the bed. The rest of the tendrils however continued their teasing touches, playing with whatever patch of skin they could find.

Neji had to bite back a moan when some of the shadows started to slip up his shirt, playing with the muscles of his abdomen before moving higher. The ones in his pants were crawling closer and closer to his member and he was ashamed that they were making his semi-hard member even harder. He tried to gasp when his nipples started to receive the most pleasurable torture he had ever felt. It felt like when Shikamaru’s mouth was latched onto them. Only it was on both sides.

His body twitched when one of the tendrils began to play around with his growing erection and others the insides of his thighs. The one tickled the tip of his cock before tracing down the sides and front, before running back up the large vein on the bottom, repeating its process. Neji’s hips were twitching and jerking uncontrollably. He was fighting inside of his head, wanting more and wanting them to stop at the same time. His eyes widened when the tentacle dipped into the slit of his member, barely slipping inside.

He writhed as it carefully wiggled its way inside. His nipples were pert and hard at this point, being rolled around by the tendrils in his shirt. He was beginning to sweat and the most lewd noises were coming from his tendril filled mouth. He couldn’t believe he was getting more and more aroused by what they were doing to him. If Shikamaru was seeing him like this, who knew what the other would be thinking. He clenched his eyes shut as the tentacles moved forward in their actions.

_Shikamaru,_ Neji thought as he was tortured, _come out already! If it is you, come out!_

That thought made him panic. What if it wasn’t Shikamaru? What if it was someone else, another Nara or someone who could copy their technique? His brain wasn’t functioning as it normally would so his thoughts didn’t have any logic to back them up. He began to struggle again with the tendrils, this time more frantically, not liking the situation at all. He didn’t like the idea of someone else molesting his body. He should have made sure that it was indeed Shikamaru who was doing this to him and not some perverted rogue-nin.

“Gods, Neji, if only you knew how hot you looked right now.”

Neji’s eyes snapped open and looked to his side. He could have cried out in relief and anger at the same time. Shikamaru was around and by the looks of it was perfectly fine. Neji was grateful and relieved that it was indeed Shikamaru who was torturing him. He was angry because the other hadn’t said anything to calm him down before. Growling, Neji began to struggle against his bonds once more, gasping when the tentacle resting inside of his member began to wiggle around.

“I wouldn’t move too much if I were you,” Shikamaru smirked, sitting down on the bed. “It only makes me more excited. Do you want to know why?”

Neji blinked as his lover crawled over his body, the shadows starting to play with his balls and puckered ring, while others rubbed the inside of his thighs. He grunted when they slipped inside his back entrance. It wasn’t uncomfortable. It was just strange, to feel something like that sliding up your hole. He wiggled underneath his husband’s straddled legs, writhing as he was continually tortured by the tendrils. Grunts and groans managed to make their way out of his mouth, but were muffled like his screams before.

“Because I can feel everything they feel,” Shikamaru whispered huskily, pulling his shirt off and throwing it to the side. “I can feel them touching your skin. I can feel them playing with your hard little nipples.” The tentacles flicked them as emphasis, making Neji moan. “I can feel the way they are sliding up your tight, hot ass.” The Hyuuga bucked as his prostate was pressed, the rest of the tendrils working on stretching him open. “And I can feel the way this tiny one is wiggling inside your cock.”

Neji was panting by the time Shikamaru finished talking, the small tentacle inside of his member wiggling around just to show him how true Shikamaru’s words were. He was growing hotter and hotter by the second and he desperately wanted the other to touch him. Having Shikamaru half naked over him was driving him to the brink of his sanity. He let out a pleasured moaned when the shadowed tendrils around his cock became a hand and it started to stroke him.

“Feel good, Neji?” Shikamaru asked, leaning down over his spouse. “Do you feel like you’re going to explode if I simply touch you?”

Neji whimpered. His husband was in a mood tonight and he had no idea why, but he wasn’t sure if he liked or hated it yet. His hips were rolling now, trying to gain more friction from that shadowy hand. The tendrils were driving him nuts! He wasn’t sure how much longer he could take this. Panting, moaning, and writhing, Neji was growing closer and closer to his orgasm. He was spilling his pre-cum like no other and he was sure that he was going to have to wash his ANBU pants tomorrow.

He nearly cried out when a tentacle wrapped tightly around the base of his cock. He had been so close! He whimpered and whined, trying to get the inky tendril away so he could release his load. He glared at his husband when the Nara began to chuckle, strong tanned fingers moving to slide his pants down, leaving Neji in his shirt and gloves. The tendrils around his ankles lifted his legs upwards, giving Shikamaru a show to watch. Neji blushed. Husband or not, this was embarrassing.

“You’re so hot to watch Neji,” Shikamaru whispered, pushing his pants away and onto the floor. “Whether you’re naked or in this sexy uniform, you always get me so hard. Can you see? Can you see how hard I am for you?”

Neji moaned at the sight of his spouse’s dripping, twitching member. He wiggled his hips, trying to convey that he wanted the other inside of him and it only served to make the tentacles inside of him to brush against his prostate. He groaned and thrust up towards the feeling, trying to make them hit that special button. He was going insane with the way the tendrils were playing around on his body. He wanted to come so badly from all of the stimulations he was getting

“You want me, koi?” Shikamaru whispered, waving his hand towards himself. The tendrils lifted Neji up off the bed, fully presenting himself to the younger man. His legs were bound so his heels were resting by his butt, his knees pointed towards the ceiling. “You want me inside you, loving you, and filling you up?”

If Shikamaru didn’t stop toying with him soon, Neji was going to start crying tears of pleasure and need. He nodded his head frantically, thrusting back onto the tentacles now that gravity was on his side. He whined when they disappeared, only to moan loudly in pleasure as he was filled with Shikamaru’s cock. It took him no time at all to adjust to the other’s size and length and a frenzied pace was started. Neji rocked against his lover, trying to gain more friction for his constrained member.

“So hot, Neji,” Shikamaru panted, kissing and nibbling on the Hyuuga’s pale neck. “So deliciously hot.”

Neji mewled. There really wasn’t much else he could do. The tentacles had his arms wrapped tightly behind his back and those that had left his back entrance were now teasing his balls or various other spots of his body. The one in his mouth pulled out and moved down to his throat, lightly wrapping around it. Neji was crying out as his lover continued to slam into his prostate over and over again. The tendril inside his member was creating the most arousing stimulation and Neji wasn’t sure how much longer he could take it.

“More!” Neji gasped, throwing his head back so his hair was moving with their movements. “Oh gods Shikamaru, give me more! Ah! Nngh! Oh yes…so good….so so good!”

The younger nin responded to his request immediately and began to thrust even harder into his lover. Neji was writhing in pleasure, too lost in the feeling to even care about how hot or sexy he looked. This was the first time Shikamaru had done anything like this to him. He’d inquired about it, wanting to know if Shikamaru’s shadows could be used in sex, but the Nara had never answered him before. Now he was getting exactly what he had asked for.

“Shika, please! Ooohh…So good! Ah! L-Let me come! Please!”

“You want to come, koi?” Shika whispered into the Hyuuga’s ear, licking it as he continued to pound into his lover.

“Yes, please!” Neji breathed, unable to do much else. “Oh please, Shika-ah! Ah!”

“How badly?”

Neji groaned, still rolling his hips. “Anything! I-I’ll do anything! Oh gods, Shikamaru please!”

His lover begging was all the Nara could take and before Neji could realize it, the tentacle inside of his member pulled out, the one wrapped around the base of his cock releasing its hold. Neji’s back arched and he threw his head back as he screamed Shikamaru’s name to the air. His orgasm was powerful, strong jets sending his semen up to his chin and chest. Shikamaru grunted and clung tighter to his lover as Neji’s insides spasmed around him, strangling his member till it released his load as well.

Shikamaru’s shadows had disappeared before they had finished and by the time they had, they both had slumped down to the bed, panting for air. It had gone faster then what Neji would have preferred today, but he was very satisfied. The horny side of him was _definitely_ satisfied. The tentacle bondage sex had been very kinky and much to Neji’s shock, very erotic and arousing. He wouldn’t mind doing this again if Shikamaru was ever up to it.

He shivered when he felt some of the Nara’s cooling seed start to drip down his thighs, despite still having his husband still inside of him. Smirking, he leaned forward and gently pressed his lips to the Nara’s, moaning when Shikamaru kissed him gently, but deeply. The younger nin pulled out of his lover, making them both groan before he wrapped his arms tightly around the Hyuuga. He didn’t care that they were dirty. He was tired and he wasn’t letting Neji go anywhere.

Neji didn’t need for the other to explain what he was doing. “You were in a rather kinky mood today.”

Shikamaru smirked. “I still am. Want to go for a second round?”

Neji chuckled, brushing his fingers through the other’s hair. “I don’t think you have the energy for it. Your chakra has to be depleted right now.”

“Hmm, you have a point,” Shikamaru grinned. “Maybe tomorrow.”

The Hyuuga snorted. “What makes you so sure?”

“If you’re wearing the ANBU uniform tomorrow, like you still are now, I will definitely do this to you again.”

Neji blushed as he finally realized that he was still in the ANBU top, gloves, and his head band. He had never taken them off. Shikamaru merely chuckled before he brought his hands up to Neji’s hair, untying the hitai-ate and setting it on their bedside table. Lazily, he helped the other remove his gloves and then his soiled shirt. Neji sighed softly. He was definitely going to have to wash those in the morning. It was a good thing he had the day off tomorrow.

He smirked at that thought. “You have to go into work tomorrow.”

Shikamaru groaned. “Don’t remind me. Maybe I’ll say I’m sick again.”

Neji bopped him on the head. “No you will not. You’ll go like you’re supposed to.”

“But you won’t be there,” Shikamaru uncharacteristically whined. “I don’t want to go if you’re not there…”

“None of that, Shika,” Neji yawned. “You’re going tomorrow as you’re obviously not ill.”

“We’ll argue about this tomorrow morning,” Shikamaru stated, pulling the other closer to him. He leaned in and smirked as he let his breath caress the Hyuuga’s ear. “After I screw you into the mattress that is.”

Neji shivered. That sound far too good to his ears at the moment.

“And Neji?”

“Hm?”

“Don’t forget that you said you’d do anything.”

Neji shivered again. That was a promise he wasn’t sure he should be looking forward to.


	9. Side Story 9 (Shikamaru/Neji)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More fun with these two. haha Happy reading everyone!

Neji was furious. It had been five days since Shikamaru had disappeared without a word. Four days since he had learned of the mission Shikamaru had not told him about. Two days since he had heard of the dangers of this mission from his ANBU captain and one day since Konoha had had any connection with his lover and spouse. Yes, he was worried, but he was more pissed then concerned. After all, the Nara hadn’t said one word to him about it.

He knew Shikamaru was safe. After all with himself being an exception, there was very little that could surprise Shikamaru and that calculating brain of his. The man was a genius and men with brains like his own simply weren’t surprised by much. Now for some reason, Neji was able to throw Shikamaru around for loops and twist his brain into knots. Whether that was because Neji was complex or because the Nara loved him, the Hyuuga wouldn’t ever really know.

Huffing as he sat in his chair, Neji decided that he needed to make dinner. Who knew if Shikamaru was going to show up tonight? It was supposed to have been a four day mission and it had been five. One day wasn’t enough to make him really worry as it was possible with any shinobi mission. It was just a factor that you didn’t know about until you arrived at your destination. That was true in most of life’s cases, but at the same time, it wasn’t an excuse.

The Hyuuga pushed himself to his feet and headed towards the kitchen. Although he wasn’t a master chef like some of the people he knew, Shikamaru had taught him how to make a few meals that would pass as excellent in most households. And seeing as there was a roast in the fridge (he hadn’t bought it, that’s for sure) that would go bad soon if he didn’t use it, Neji knew exactly what he was making. Fortunately, there was plenty of time left in the day for him to slow cook the meat. He prepared it and left it to sit, going upstairs to his room.

Frustration with Shikamaru or not, Neji was still one of Naruto’s bodyguards and had a duty to uphold.

The day went by slowly, much to his distaste, but there was little the white-eyed man could do about it. When the day was over, Naruto and Sasuke invited Neji to join them on a walk, which he politely declined. He then invited them over for dinner, knowing that there was no way he could eat the entire roast himself and that there wasn’t a lot of room left in the refrigerator for leftovers. He was going to have to do some cleaning soon.

“ _You’re_ making a roast?” Naruto asked wide eyed, only to be smack in the back of the head by his lover. “Ow! Teme! What was that for?”

“Don’t insult him after he’s invited us for dinner,” Sasuke growled, glaring at the blonde.

“No offense to Neji, but I don’t want to be eating a charcoal black meat that tastes like ash!” the Hokage frowned.

“I understand your concern, Naruto,” Neji stated, slightly put off, “but I can guarantee you that it will not be burned.”

Nodding his head towards the blonde, as if to say ‘See?’, Sasuke turned his attention towards Neji. “Would you like for us to bring something?”

“If you wish,” Neji replied. “I’ll have everything for a full coarse meal ready to go when you arrive.” And with that he was gone.

Dinner approached swiftly and it wasn’t long before the three males were sitting comfortably around Neji’s living room. They talked of several things, which Neji was thankful for as he didn’t want to keep his mind focused on Shikamaru’s absence for too long. As upset as he was with the other, he missed his presence more. After all, he loved Shikamaru. When the other was gone, he was terribly bored and sometimes he was even miserable.

When it came time for the couple to leave, Neji was actually slightly sad to see them go. They had helped him clean up his kitchen, despite his insistence that he do it himself, so he wasn’t upset about being left behind with a large load of dishes. In fact, he was more upset that he didn’t have them. They could have proven to be a distraction for him. As he waved farewell, it hit him that he had simply enjoyed the company of his companions and to see that time end was a little sad.

Shaking his head, Neji made his way up to his bedroom. With nothing better to do, he started to fold some of the clean clothes Shikamaru had thrown across the room in his haste to leave. Shaking his head, Neji started to put them away as well. He would have picked them up on the day Shikamaru had disappeared, but he had left them out, hoping that the other would return and then realize that Neji wasn’t his housemaid. Unfortunately it was bothering the Hyuuga and here he was cleaning up his husband’s mess.

He smirked. _Figures._

Although neither of them had ever discussed it, as the uke in their relationship, Neji had immediately started taking on the chores of any housewife. He was certainly more concerned about cleanliness then Shikamaru, but at the same time, he enjoyed cleaning. There was something about looking in a room after the job was done that made him feel good. That and having been pampered for the first part of his life, Neji was more then glad to do something other then sit and look pretty.

Standing in front of their shared closet, Neji lifted the last of Shikamaru’s clothing, which happened to be a shirt, to his nose and breathed in. H really did miss his spouse. It was a like a switch had been flipped all of a sudden. Neji started to grow hot as he put the shirt away and when he had gotten back to his bed he was slowly getting an erection. Grunting as he got to his bed, the Hyuuga stripped off his shirt, hoping that the action would cool him down.

It didn’t however. Instead he got even hotter. He flopped down on his bed, having no clue what was going on. He was now very aroused and it was starting to become very urgent for attention. He grunted as he started to grind against the comforter of his bed, hoping to find some sort of relief. It didn’t do a thing and before he knew it, he was lying naked on his bed, his clothes thrown haphazardly around the room and his hand was racing up and down his swollen member.

His own touch wasn’t doing the trick, however, and when he had managed to bringing himself to a painfully hard state, Neji had to wonder what had happened to bring him here. He had so many sudden urges and it felt like Shikamaru would be the only one to help him finish. He didn’t have any idea when Shikamaru would be home, and he whimpered at the thought. How long was he going to have to be like this? Maybe he’d have to go get some help from his Hokage and his family rival.

The slam of a door caught his attention however and Neji stilled as he sent his chakra out to touch the invader. When he recognized the other as Shikamaru, the Hyuuga nearly broke down in relief. He so needed to come and now that his lover was here he could find the relief he desired. The Nara seemed to sense that something was off and was heading directly towards their room, something else that Neji was praising the heavens for.

“Neji, is everything-“

The older shinobi didn’t give his lover a chance to finish a sentence before he had pulled the other’s pants down, underwear included. His hands immediately wrapped around the base of Shikamaru’s limp member and his mouth was started sucking on the tip as soon as it touched it. Caught off guard by the sudden movement, Shikamaru hadn’t been able to do anything but stare at the quick movements. It took a moment before his brain could register that something had happened.

Not willing to give his spouse a chance to refuse his advances, Neji continued to lovingly suck and moan around the other’s hardening member and he positioned one of the Nara’s legs in between his own. Once he was sure it wasn’t going to move, he started to grind up and down against it. He moaned deeply and he felt the organ in his mouth twitch at the sound and vibrations it created. The Nara’s breath hitched in his throat and his hands flew to Neji’s head, fingers curling into his hair.

“Neji,” Shikamaru gasped, “what are you do-ngh!”

The Hyuuga wasn’t going to lose this now. He wanted to suck the other’s cock and he’d die fighting if someone tried to change that. He pulled more of the pulsing member into his mouth as his tongue played with the vein that was practically throbbing at his touch. The fingers in his hair would twitch sporadically and he would moan appreciatively every time they would. His own member wasn’t getting the relief it wanted, but he could care less at the moment. He had a cock in his mouth and he was happy.

They sat there for a moment, Shikamaru resting against their bedroom wall with Neji’s head in between his legs, giving him the best head he had ever received. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could last with the way the other was sucking on him. It didn’t help when the Hyuuga deep throated him and his head flew back against the wall. His hips were bucking constantly and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get the other to back off or to let go.

“N-Neji! Stop! I’m g-going to come!” the younger male panted, his legs trembling.

Encouraged, Neji pulled back for some air before he deep throated the other once more, sucking as hard as he could and swallowing around the hot, thick, pulsing organ. The Nara couldn’t take it anymore and he cried out as he released his load into Neji’s mouth. The Hyuuga moaned appreciatively and continued to swallow, pulling more from the spewing cock while he didn’t stop rubbing himself against the younger shinobi’s leg.

Once finished, Shikamaru slumped to the floor, gasping for air as his hands dropped to his sides. He simply sat there for a moment, dazed and unfocused until a whine caught his attention. Neji was desperately rubbing himself against Shikamaru’s leg, like an animal is heat. His eyes locked with his lovers and Neji whimpered again, crawling towards him before he nestled into Shikamaru’s chest, still rubbing himself against the Nara’s leg.

“What’s going on Neji?” Shikamaru asked quietly, pulling the other’s hips to a stop.

Neji whined again as his hips struggled to create the friction he so desired. “I-I don’t know!”

“Neji-“

“Please,” Neji sobbed, which was so unlike his long haired lover that the Nara was definitely worried. “We’ll talk…later, just…please!”

Shikamaru sighed and wrapped and arm around the other’s waist, pulling him close, and away from his leg, before he pressed a tender kiss to Neji’s neck. He continued to distract the Hyuuga as his hand reached down to cup the red cock jutting away from his lover’s body. Neji mewled so loudly that the younger nin wasn’t quite sure what to think of it. It was almost as if Neji had turned into a giant kitten. A giant _sex_ kitten that is.

The Hyuuga’s fingers curled into the fabric of Shikamaru’s ANBU clothing as his lover slowly stroked him, bringing him closer and closer to the edge. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could take it and he begged the other to move more quickly with his needy moans and the thrusting of his hips. Seeing the look of absolutely urgency on his lover’s scrunched face, Shikamaru couldn’t help but giving in to the sounds and started to randomly squeeze in his strokes.

“Ooh…Shika…” he moaned deeply. “Feels…so good. Harder!”

“What do you say?” Shikamaru asked teasingly, smirking as he licked the shell of Neji’s ear.

“Please!” The white-eyed nin begged, more wanton then the Nara had ever heard before. “Please, do i-it harder and…faster!”

As much as he enjoyed teasing his spouse, Shikamaru had questions that he wanted answers too and he was very tired. He’d rather get the whole night done and over with as soon as possible. With that in mind, he did as his lover begged him to and soon had Neji writhing in his lap. If he hadn’t been so tired, he might have actually encouraged the feeling as the older nin was rubbing his groin in a very attractive fashion. As it was, however, he continued to make his lover writhe and squirm, delicious cries spilling from his mouth as he drew nearer to his climax.

Neji bit down on Shikamaru’s shoulder as he came, a muffled scream reaching Shikamaru’s ears. He watched as the other’s seed shot from his cock till it was spent, the member falling limp in his hands. Finished, the Hyuuga slumped in his husband’s arms, exhausted and relieved. He was so glad that the other was home and all of his previous anger towards the other had simply vanished. He simply sat there gasping for breath, eyes closed and body limp.

“Now,” Shikamaru stated matter-of-factly, clearing his throat, “what brought that on?”

“I…I honestly don’t know,” Neji said softly, panting heavily.

“Well, why don’t you tell me what you’ve done today?” the Nara stated. “Maybe that will give me an idea.”

Neji frowned slightly. “It wasn’t any different today then it was any other day. I got up, went to work, came home and had dinner, and then came up here to clean up the mess you made.”

“You just barely cleaned it up?” Shikamaru blinked. “How could you stand it?”

“That’s not the issue here,” the Hyuuga stated, scowling.

“Right, right,” Shikamaru nodded. “When did you start to get aroused?”

Neji blushed and didn’t answer for a moment before he let out a soft, mumbled, “After I smelled your shirt.”

Shikamaru did his best not to smirk. “As flattering as that is, koi, no one can get so hard from simply a smell.”

Neji’s blush grew darker. “I…I played with myself too…”

The Nara was having a difficult time not laughing. “Alright, what happened before you smelled my shirt?”

“I had dinner, which Naruto and Sasuke,” Neji stated, glad that his lover wasn’t going to tease him. At least, not yet.

Shikamaru frowned. “You had dinner with them? If Sasuke drugged you again-“

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Neji scowled. “I was the one that made dinner. There was a roast in the fridge that was going to go bad if I didn’t use it."

When the younger nin stilled, Neji was sure that something had just clicked in Shikamaru’s mind. He waited for the other to say something and his patience didn’t go unrewarded. “You…cooked the roast?”

“Yes,” Neji said skeptically. “Why does that matter?”

“No reason,” Shikamaru coughed, clearing his throat.

Neji glared. “Nara Shikamaru, you will tell me what you did to that roast and you will tell me no-…You drugged it!”

“What?”

“You drugged the roast and hoped to get me to eat it!”

“No, that’s not-“

“Has it really come to that? That you’d need to drug me before we could have sex? I can’t believe you would do something like tha-"

Neji’s mouth was promptly covered by his husband’s hand and he glared as his sentence was effectively stopped. Shikamaru sighed, let out a muttered ‘troublesome’, and then turned his full attention to his lover and spouse.

“I did nothing to that roast because it wasn’t meant for us,” Shikamaru stated.

The older nin pulled away from the other’s hand and frowned. “What do you mean?”

The Nara sighed. “The labs have come up with a new drug like powder that they wanted to test. It’s supposed to release hormones that will induce good feelings when you think about your lover, spouse, etc. I was supposed to get the roast to Ino and Chouji as they agreed to help my dad with the experiment. I got called on a mission however and didn’t have time to deliver it. Dad figured that the roast I was supposed to give to them would go bad and so he sent another. I never got the chance to tell you about it or my mission. Satisfied?”

Neji snorted. “No, but that explains my sudden…desires. I suppose that-…oh no…”

“What?”

“I-I have to tell Sasuke and Naruto about the roast! Otherwise they’ll think I purposely drugged them, again!” Neji moved to get up but was stopped by Shikamaru’s arms. “Shikamaru-“

“You expect me to let you go after the welcome I received?” the younger nin grinned lecherously. One of his hands slipped to start stroking the other’s member once again, immediately pulling a gasp from the Hyuuga’s lips. He was almost instantly hard again. “There was probably enough of that drug in there to get a hundred men aroused. I am not letting you free, koi.” With that said, Shikamaru left no room for an argument and carried an extremely aroused lover to their bed, where they spent the entire night having sex.


	10. Side Story 10 (Shikamaru/Neji)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, onto the last few side stories I wrote! I hope you'll all enjoy where these ones go!

Relaxing on their couch at home, Neji continued to flip through the newspaper, trying to find anything worth reading. There had been little news as of late and while that was a good thing peace-wise, the paper itself was lacking in anything really worth reading. Of course, Neji wasn’t one who enjoyed the negative side of the news all the time and actually loved reading good things. But lately there hadn’t even been much of that.

Sighing softly, he set the paper back on the coffee table in his living room before standing up to stretch. The lack of chaos had given many nins more break time and while that wasn’t always good financially, the Hyuuga enjoyed the time to relax. He still trained as fiercely as before, but he took proper breaks and allowed his body to rest. It was good for the mind as well as his body and he found that he had picked up on the nuances of being lazy quite quickly, all thanks to his husband.

He smiled as he thought of the Nara. Three years. The two of them had been married for a blissful three years. Neji had never expected to have such happiness in his life and even now he was finding it hard to believe that it actually existed. He wouldn’t trade it for the world however. Shikamaru made each day worth living to its fullest, even if it meant merely relaxing and enjoying some peace and quiet. It was something he treasured greatly.

Walking towards their backyard, which actually over looked the village, Neji stretched his arms and neck before closing his eyes and relaxing once more. One thing that the Hyuuga home had instilled upon him that he actually enjoyed were these relaxing and mind enhancing techniques. He usually would perform katas with his sword, but today he felt like simply doing some tai-chi, hoping to obtain a balance he had been lacking lately.

Several minutes went by and the slow movements and deep breathing brought Neji to a more relaxed state, his mind focusing solely on his movements and his breathing pattern. Of course, he stayed alert to anything he didn’t quite recognize, but other then that the rest of the world didn’t exist at the moment. All that mattered was that he obtained an inner peace and balance with himself and the world around him would then also right itself.

A good twenty minutes later he was finished, opening his eyes and feeling far more relaxed then he had in days. Smiling softly, he turned back towards the house, walking inside and heading towards the fridge. It was lunch time and if he knew anything about his lover’s schedule, Shikamaru would be returning from the Nara labs soon. Whenever his spouse had a day off, he spent the first part of it there, helping his father out with experiments and other various things. Not that Neji minded. Yes, he missed Shikamaru, but he liked the alone time he had as well.

Deciding that a light salad was sounding delicious on this warm summer day and so Neji set about washing and cutting up the proper ingredients. While Shikamaru didn’t really care about his diet other then getting what he needed to survive, Neji had learned to not only eat healthy, but enjoyably as well. And Shikamaru had seemed to be happy with his new skills in the kitchen. Neji had begged the Hyuuga head chef to teach him how and to this day he was still taking lessons.

“I’m home.”

Neji couldn’t help but smile at the sound of his lover’s voice. He so dearly loved Shikamaru and if simply hearing the other’s voice brought him joy, it was no surprise. He turned his smile to his spouse when the Nara entered their kitchen, before turning his eyes back to the nearly finished salad. He had mixed up some sandwiches for his lover as well and knew that he would be having leftovers simply from lunch. Not that he really minded though.

“Mm, lunch looks good,” Shikamaru grinned, wrapping his arms around his spouse’s waist. “A salad and sandwiches?”

“Mmhmm,” Neji hummed. “I wanted something light, but filling. Did you want anything else?”

“Nothing you can put on a plate,” the younger nin smirked, snickering when Neji playfully smacked his cheek.

“Perv,” the Hyuuga mumbled.

“Maybe so, but you love me that way,” the Nara smiled, turning Neji to face him.

“So I do,” Neji replied, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to Shikamaru’s lips. “Now let me go so I can finish lunch. Do you want to eat outside?”

“Nah, let’s stay in,” Shikamaru answered, his expression becoming somewhat serious. “There’s something I want to ask you after we’re done eating.”

Perplexed, the white eyed nin merely nodded and continued to finish their meal. Once they were at their table, Neji couldn’t help but try to figure out what Shikamaru wanted to ask him. What could it possibly be? He was glad he had relaxed himself earlier otherwise the tension would have become aggravating. Instead, he kept a quiet, comfortable conversation going with his spouse. It wouldn’t do to stress his lover out. And he could tell Shikamaru was stressed about the idea.

After lunch was cleaned up, Neji suggested that they move to the library, where both could be comfortable as Shikamaru asked his question. The Nara smiled thankfully at his spouse and twined their fingers together as they made their way to the room. The older nin merely followed, smiling at the touch of his lover’s hand. Once in the room, Shikamaru settled down in the largest bean bag, pulling Neji down with him.

“So, what did you want to ask me?” Neji asked softly, snuggling closer before looking into his husband’s face.

The Nara breathed in deeply before letting it out, eyes closing at the action. “Well, there’s…a new experiment going on at the lab and…I was wondering if…you’d be willing to join me as test subjects in it.”

Blinking, the Hyuuga paused in thought. Shikamaru had _never_ asked him for something like this before. It must be an idea that really perked his lover’s interest if he was willing to ask him for them to both be part of it. “What…is the experiment?”

Let out a soft breath, Shikamaru continued. “They’re trying to see if they can discover a way for…two males to have kids.”

The older nin blinked slowly. “What?”

“It doesn’t involve one of the pair to get pregnant mind you,” the Nara stated quickly. “It’s more like…the two combine and then donate the sperm to be planted in an egg. I know it sounds really awkward, but…I always thought it would be…kind of nice to have a kid with you. I’ll totally understand if you’re not ready for this, especially as kids can be tiring and we’d constantly have to trade off shifts with being ninjas, but I wanted you to at least…think about it.”

Neji was dumbstruck. So much so that he couldn’t even comment on Shikamaru’s faint flush, obviously proving that he had been extremely embarrassed to bring up such a thing. His spouse wanted to have a child with him. Wanted to raise a kid of their very own. And not adopt one for that matter. He wanted to some how combine their sperm and insert it into an egg were a child would grow almost as if it had been born by either one of them.

“You…want to have a child…with me?” Neji asked, finally able to focus on the Nara’s face.

Shikamaru nodded. “Yes. Again, I’ll understand if you say no. There are other male homosexual couples that the lab could use. Dad wanted to give us the first chance though.”

Settling closer to his husband, the Hyuuga turned his gaze towards the bookshelves. A child. Shikamaru wanted to have a kid! Neji didn’t know anything about how to raise a kid! And who could he possibly turn to on how to even begin raising one? How would they feed a newborn baby? Obviously neither one of them was going to produce milk and even thinking about that made Neji shiver. It just wasn’t natural!

But the older nin had to admit that he had fancied thoughts of raising a child. He knew he probably wasn’t the most appropriate choice for father material. He also loved his job. Being a ninja was something he had obviously grown up with and he wasn’t about to change his careers. But raising a child could be just as challenging, though in a much different setting. Was he ready for this? Was he ready for a kid? He needed to think on this.

“How soon do you need an answer?” Neji asked softly, trying to convey that he merely needed time to think.

Shikamaru had expected the Hyuuga to outright deny the offer, so sighed slightly in relief at Neji’s words. “They’d like an answer by the end of this week.”

_Five days_ , Neji thought to himself. _That should be sufficient._ “Let me think on it then, alright?”

The Nara smiled. “Of course. Thank you, Neji.”

Smirking, the white eyed nin raised a brow in his lover’s direction. “I haven’t agreed to anything yet.”

Shikamaru chuckled. “I know. I’m just glad you’re taking time to at least think about it.”

Neji smiled and pressed a kiss to the Nara’s throat. “Well, you could have come to ask me something much worse then that, I assure you.”

Raising a brow, the Nara stared at his lover. “Such as?”

“Asking if someone could join us for a threesome,” Neji stated. He had always hated that thought, sharing _his_ Shikamaru with someone else.

“…Actually-“

“No,” Neji scowled. “Absolutely not.”

Bursting into a fit of laughter, Shikamaru pulled his lover close. “I was teasing! I knew you’d outright refuse that.”

The Hyuuga glared as the younger nin continued to laugh before he huffed and snuggled into his husband’s arms. The fact that they were still so comfortable with each other, even after the strange offer, made Neji lean more towards accepting the experiment. If things stayed like this for them, a family was definitely doable. Yes, he and Shikamaru had their spats. Every couple did, but theirs had never lasted more then a couple of hours.

Sighing softly, Neji closed his eyes and relaxed with his spouse, smiling when a familiar hand came to run through his hair. Things would be alright. Even if he said no, the two of them would continue to live on happily. With this thought firmly planted in his mind, Neji let the decision he had to make slide from his mind for the time being. He had time to debate with himself and he had five days. He had more then enough time to come to a decision.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Four days later, Neji slowly made his way up to the bedroom. Shikamaru had been getting rather anxious for his response on the third day, but hadn’t said anything towards his lover about it. The older nin knew that the Nara didn’t want to force him into a decision and he appreciated that. However, these past four days had been extremely stressful on his spouse and it was high time for him to end it. A stressed Shikamaru was a highly moody Shikamaru. One side of his lover that Neji didn’t appreciate.

Opening the door to their room, the Hyuuga wasn’t surprised to find his spouse pacing back and forth, eyes flitting in every direction. The Nara was only like this when something was really bothering him and Neji would willingly call himself an idiot if he didn’t know what it was. Walking into the room, effectively catching his lover’s attention, Neji smiled as he drew his husband towards their bed, rubbing his thumb in a circle on the back of Shikamaru’s hand.

“Should I give you a massage?” Neji asked, tilting his head as he smirked. “You’re so tense I don’t doubt you’ll explode soon if I don’t do something.”

Shikamaru scowled. “Har har. You’re absolutely hilarious.”

Sighing softly, the white eyed nin pulled the Nara down onto their bed, forcing him to sit before crawling behind him. Without a word, he began to massage the younger nin’s shoulders, earning a pleased groan from his tan neck. Smiling, Neji merely continued. It would be good to relax his lover a little before he decided to share his answer with his husband. He didn’t need the Nara doing something he normally wouldn’t do when he gave his answer.

“Thanks, Neji,” Shikamaru sighed, arching into the other’s touch.

“I have ulterior motives, you know,” Neji teased, giving his hands a break as he wrapped his arms around his husband’s shoulders.

“You always do,” the Nara retorted smirking.

Chuckling softly, the white eyed nin nuzzled his lover’s neck before he let out a soft sigh. “Let’s try it, Shikamaru.”

The younger nin froze for a moment, before slowly turning to look his lover in the face. He had been confused at first, wondering what the other had meant, but it had clicked after a few moments. Neji knew what was almost constantly on his mind lately and that his brain would automatically associate any random phrase towards it. Blinking, he stared deep into the white eyes that he loved so much, finding nothing but sincerity and confidence.

“Really? You’re willing to try it?”

Neji shrugged. “Having a child with you could be fun. Though I’m not saying it’ll be easy. Geniuses or not, we’ve never dealt with kids before.”

Shikamaru was silent for a moment before one of the largest smiles Neji had ever seen crawled onto his face. That smile had made his debating and ponderings entirely worth the time they had taken. The happiness and joy practically flowed from that smile and the Hyuuga couldn’t help but smile in return. Leaning forward, he pressed his lips against the Nara’s, enjoying the chaste kiss before pulling away and looking into his lover’s face.

It shocked him to no end to find tears.

“Sorry, sorry,” the younger nin half breathed, half laughed, wiping away the stray drops. “I just…I was so sure you were going to say no.”

Pouting, the white eyed nin hit the other playfully on the shoulder. “I’m not completely heartless.”

Shikamaru could only laugh and pull Neji into his arms, burying his face into the long brown hair of his spouse. “Thank you, Neji. Thank you.”

Neji’s heart was melting. Rarely was the Nara ever so open with what he was feeling and the older nin loved it when he was like this. It made him fall in love with his spouse all over again. Wrapping his arms around his husband, the Hyuuga merely held him close, enjoying the extreme happiness radiating off of him. Now that he’d accepted, Neji wanted full details of how things were going to work, but he could wait. Wait till Shikamaru could think properly.

It took several minutes and the two of them ended up lying on their bed together, holding each other close. When he was sure Shikamaru wouldn’t burst into tears again, Neji moved till he looked the other in the face. “Alright, so how does this work?”

Shaking his head, Shikamaru paused for only a moment. “I didn’t ask. I wanted to make sure you were going to agree before I found out what their plans were.”

“More like you were so sure I was going to say no,” the Hyuuga smirked. “When can we find out?”

“Now, if you’d like,” the younger nin stated, running his fingers through his lover’s hair.

Huffing lightly, Neji slowly pushed himself up. “Let’s go then. The more I know and the sooner, the better.” He quickly slid off of their bed, completely surprised when he was suddenly grabbed from behind and pulled back down. A muffled noise of shock tried to leave his lips, but he found that his mouth was covered by Shikamaru’s own. Moaning softly, he immediately gave in, let the Nara pour all of his passion into the kiss.

When they parted, Neji was gasping for air. “If agreeing to have children with you gives me this kind of kiss, I wonder what the sex will be like.”

Shikamaru snickered. “I’ve made you insatiable. Let’s go before I get tempted to throw you to the bed and have my wicked way with you.”

The Hyuuga shivered. “Oh, don’t talk like that. Makes me wish you’d carry out that threat.”

Several kisses later, the couple stood in front of the Nara labs. Neji was slightly nervous about entering inside, his imagination providing images of a crazed scientist’s laboratory. Mentally scowling, the Hyuuga chased those ideas away. Neither Shikamaru nor Shikaku were mad in any way and would definitely not condone the use of a live, human for evil experiments. Of course, he was still nervous that he might break something of importance. That could never end well.

As they entered, Neji was relieved to find that the aisles for walking were fairly large and he didn’t have to fear anymore of breaking something. He calmly let his husband lead him forward, looking briefly from side to side at all the glass containers and measuring instruments he hadn’t even known existed until this point. Not that he knew what any of them really did, but the point still stood that this was his first time seeing many of them.

“Hey kiddo, Neji. What brings the two of you here?”

Neji bowed politely in greeting and was half tempted to make the older Nara guess. As if he already didn’t know…

“We want to try that experiment, dad. Neji’s decided that he wants to try it,” Shikamaru stated calmly, in his normal fashion.

“ _We_ decided, Shikamaru,” Neji clarified. “Not just me.”

“Anyway, we’re wondering how we’re going to do this,” the younger nin stated, trying his hardest not to flush slightly.

Shikaku chuckled and leaned against a nearby counter. “You two obviously remember the mission to retrieve Uchiha Sasuke when you were younger. You fought against that Kidoumaru, right?” He continued when Neji merely nodded. “That Inuzuka kid – Kiba, isn’t it? – went up against a pair of brothers, Sakon and Ukon. You two remember them?”

The couple stared at each other for a moment before giving a nervous nodding. Was the older Nara proposing what they thought he was?

“I can already see you two have come to the conclusion I was coming to,” Shikaku stated. “I know it sounds risky and would probably feel even stranger, but we’ve found a way to utilize the skill those two had, with the ability to combine their bodies together. Safely too, I might add. There’s no way you two can get permanently stuck with each other. I’m sure that would make your married life far too strange and even more annoying in the bedroom.”

Neji flushed as Shikamaru let out a hissed, “Dad!”. The Hyuuga would probably never get used to how blunt his lover’s father was.

Shikaku merely laughed. “Alright, forget I said that. Anyway, the tricky part is you two have to create the seals together. Doesn’t matter how slow you have to go, but they have to be right on with each other. You’ll continue to do that until your bodies are nearly completely joined. Like those two brothers, the only thing distinguishing your bodies will be your heads. You’ll have to choose which one of you will be dormant though. It’ll be easier on your bodies and your brains if both of you aren’t trying to be in control.”

Shifting in his spot, the Hyuuga brought white eyes up to meet the brown of his father-in-law. “You’re sure there is no…threat to our bodies doing this?”

“I’m positive,” Shikaku replied. “We’ve had a few of the Nara clan try this out and their bodies ended up just the same as before. No deaths or disfigured bodies. Here’s a list of the seals you’ll need to perform. Take it home, memorize them and try to be relaxed when you do this. The more relaxed you are, the easier it’ll be and the faster it’ll go. Once you’ve gotten some sperm in this container, bring it back and we’ll continue on with the next part.”

Shikamaru had merely accepted both the instructions and the container before teleporting the two of them home. Neji was extremely nervous. Combining their bodies? Why did that sound like such a risk to him? Would it work? Would, for some strange reason, their bodies be permanently glued together if something went wrong? He was almost regretting the fact that he had agreed. At least until he remember the joy that had been on Shikamaru’s face. Swallowing his fear, Neji steeled himself. He could do this for his lover.

Once in their room, the Nara turned towards his spouse. “Neji, I had no idea that’s what they had in mind. If…If you want to back out-“

“I’ll hear none of that,” Neji interrupted, smirking. “I agreed to do this and I’ll follow it through, no matter the risks or how…strange the idea is. So let’s get it over with and then you can reward me with a nice round of sex after this.”

Chuckling softly, Shikamaru pressed a gentle kiss to the Hyuuga’s lips. “Alright. Let’s look at the seals then we can practice doing them together.”

Much to Neji’s surprise, there weren’t many and before too long they both had them memorized. They practiced doing the seals together a couple times before Shikamaru asked which on of them would be in charge. Not liking the idea of having to pleasure their combined body while in this strange state, Neji delegated the task to his lover, who merely smirked and said nothing more. Once that had been decided, both men stripped and Neji turned to face their bed, taking deep breathes to calm his brain. This was it. There was no turning back.

“Last chance to back out, koi,” the Nara stated softly, pressing a gentle kiss to the back of Neji’s neck.

The white eyed nin merely shook his head. “Not going to happen, Shika.”

Smiling, the younger nin turned their bodies till they could both see their reflections in the large mirror they had purchased not to long ago. Taking deep breath, Shikamaru started them off, slowly chanting the seals so Neji would know when to move to the next one. The Hyuuga continued to concentrate on his lover’s instructions, ignoring the strange feeling they made in his body. He stiffened when their backs met and then began to meld, but forced his mind to focus on the seals.

He was panting with the effort it was taking to do simply that after several minutes had passed. He kept pushing forward only on the fact that he had agreed and he wouldn’t disappoint his husband no matter how he felt. Shikamaru would pause in the chanting of the seals, only to whisper his love and affection for his lover before he continued. It wasn’t until they were nearly combined that Neji felt himself growing extremely tired and before he could warn the Nara, he was fast asleep.

When he woke up, he was lying on their bed, still stripped bare, but Shikamaru was sitting by his side, running tan fingers through his hair. For a moment he wondered if he had dreamt the whole thing. Opening his eyes, he locked them with the brown ones of his spouse, greeted with a pleased, calm smile. The Nara said nothing as he leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to the white eyed nin’s forehead, whispering a soft “I love you” shortly after.

“It…did it work?” Neji asked, slowly moving to sit up himself, finding nothing abnormal with his body.

“Yup,” Shikamaru nodded, lifting up the container in his hand. “You ready to go back and give it to my dad?”

The Hyuuga flushed. “It’ll be rather embarrassing to give your father a bottle full of…our sperm.”

Chuckling, the younger nin got to his feet. “True, but at least the hard part is over, right? Let’s go give it too him and then we’ll come back and I’ll give you your reward.”

Needless to say, Neji was dressed sooner then his lover and together they headed back to the labs. Shikaku seemed extremely pleased that they had gotten the task done so quickly and after allowing the two of them to state women they would have as possible egg donors (which was more embarrassing then Neji had ever thought it would be), the two went home and the Hyuuga forced his lover to execute his promise for the rest of the evening.

The only thing left to do now was wait and see if they were successful.


	11. Side Story 11 (Shikamaru/Neji)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A continuation of Side Story 10. Happy reading!

Tapping his finger on his leg, Shikamaru poised a question. “So, if it’s a boy, what do you want to name him?”

Neji sighed and turned an exasperated stare towards his lover. “Shikamaru, we’ve already discussed that we weren’t going to choose names until we were sure that the child would even survive.”

The Nara rolled his eyes. “Neji there’s only a week and a half left before the baby is actually born. Do you really want to go in there without at least one name prepared? Even if the baby doesn’t survive, it ought to at least have a name.”

Mentally cringing, the white eyed nin had to admit that his lover had a point. Despite the fact that it wouldn’t be born normally, the baby was theirs. It was only right that it had a name. Of course, picking out a name got his hopes up and Neji wasn’t sure he wanted to face the possible disappointment that the child wouldn’t survive after he had gotten so excited. This was a first after all. No experiment like this had ever been performed before.

“Very well. Let’s choose some names,” Neji agreed. “Any ideas?”

“A few,” Shikamaru grinned. “Unlike you, I’ve been thinking about it.”

The Hyuuga snorted. “Then share them with me, Mr. Snooty.”

“I’ve thought about Izanagi,” the younger nin stated. “What do you think of that one?”

Neji grimaced. “I don’t think so.”

“What about Hiro then?”

“Better. I’ll consider that one.”

“Masao?”

The older nin shook his head. “No, I don’t like that name.”

Rolling his eyes, Shikamaru changed tactics. “Alright, let’s go to girls names then. What do you think about Kiyoko?”

Neji paused before smiling. “I do like that one. Very pretty, yet strong.”

“What about Tsukiko?”

“That’s a good one too,” the white eyed nin nodded. “Especially if she has eyes like my own.”

Shikamaru smiled. “Yes, that would fit nicely, wouldn’t it? What about Susumu?”

The Hyuuga nearly scowled. “You had such nice ones before. Where did that one come from?”

Laughing, the younger nin leaned over and let his head fall on his spouse’s. “I was just rattling off names. There’s only one name I’ve really thought about twice and it’s a boy’s name.”

“What is it?” Neji asked, moving his head more to accommodate his husband.

“Not telling,” Shikamaru smirked. “If the baby’s a girl, I’ll tell you then. If it’s a boy…well…you’ll just have to trust me.”

Frowning, the older nin elbowed the Nara’s stomach. “That’s not nice. Telling me you have a name and not sharing it with me. And why should I trust you to naming our child if it’s a boy?”

“Because I know it’s a name you’ll love,” the shadow wielder replied. “Just trust me, hm?”

The Hyuuga huffed. “Very well. But if it’s a terrible name, I’m going to make sure he gets a new one.”

The younger nin laughed. “If you don’t like it, I’ll let you top me for a month.”

Eyes widening, Neji smirked. “You have yourself a deal, Shika.”

The two merely continued to sit there and Neji’s mind drifted on the thoughts of the child being born. He mentally smiled. A child with Shikamaru. He hadn’t ever thought it would be possible. In fact, he had given up the idea of having children of his own the day his uncle had announced his engagement to the Nara. When his husband had brought up the offer of them having kids, Neji had been so shocked. Now he was extremely pleased and couldn’t wait for the child to be born.

Despite the rush to prepare himself, Neji had been asking Shikamaru’s mother for advice and instruction on how to care for a baby. His husband had been rather shocked on him choosing the Nara woman for an instructor, but never argued his choice. Neji would have asked his uncle what it was like to care for Hinata and Hanabi, but he wanted to keep this a secret and surprise them. Yes, they might not accept the child as easily, but the looks on their faces would be one he was looking forward to.

They had also prepared a room for their new little baby. Neji knew it would be a big disappointment if the child didn’t survive, but both of them had agreed that they would not let the baby be born without some place to call their own. Yoshino had given them all of Shikamaru’s old toys and knew that as soon as the baby was born, they’d be receiving other gifts from various other people. The Nara woman had been extremely cooperative on the idea of a surprise, but insisted that the two of them allow her to throw a baby shower once everyone knew.

Neji had eventually agreed.

Closing his eyes, Neji relaxed as he thought about the day after they had given Shikaku their combined sperm. It had been a very detailed explanation for what was going to happen and Neji found himself going over the more memorable parts of the conversation.

“ _I’m still confused on how our bodies being…together makes the experiment work,” Neji stated._

“ _Well, I could spit out a whole bunch of scientific mumbo jumbo, but I doubt you’d understand any of it,” Shikaku replied. “Not saying you’re stupid, but sometimes it even confuses me. Anyway, when you’re bodies melded together, like those brothers, your cells all combined into one being right?” He continued when a nod answered him. “The only difference between them and you two is that they were identical twins, basically sharing the same DNA structure.”_

“ _But ours are different,” the Hyuuga stated._

“ _Right,” the elder Nara nodded. “That being said, your cells, through this technique we discovered, remained as they were, the only difference being that they existed in the same body. Is that confusing?”_

“ _A little,” Neji admitted, “but I’m sure it’s more for that fact that the…idea is strange. Please continue.”_

“ _With the two of you sharing one body, but having different cells, you essentially did what any man and woman did when making a child, though in this case your DNA was still your own. The sperm, which I won’t go into detail of how it was made, essentially was the same way, carrying cells, or DNA, of both of you. That’s what makes this process so very intriguing to the scientific world. I’m not one of the main scientists here, but I can enjoy their discoveries better then most.”_

“ _So the sperm has both of our DNA in it,” Shikamaru said. “Yet it acts as if it only came from one of us?”_

_Shikaku nodded. “That’s why I was so diligent on the questions of your egg donor. The woman wouldn’t be a ninja in any way and therefore won’t have many, if any, dominate traits. Hair and eye color are the major things to look for and it isn’t hard to find a donor with hair similar to either of you. Skin color will most likely be similar to your own due to the fact that there are two dominate male traits in the sperm instead of the normal one.”_

“ _Now this baby will be your own and will have traits from both family lines. It’ll be almost as if a Nara and Hyuuga male and female coupling took place. The scientists here are very precise on their donors and have chosen only those who have very submissive traits, the odd woman out so to speak. Very few, if any, of her traits will be present in the baby. The great thing about donors is that they rarely have the attachments to the children.”_

_The white eyed nin squirmed next to his lover before lifting his eyes to meet his father-in-law’s. “How…will the baby be born?”_

_Smiling, Shikaku motioned for the couple to follow him. Glancing at each other, Neji and Shikamaru followed, wandering further into the Nara labs. Holding his spouse’s hand, Neji leaned close to the younger nin, hoping to all things merciful that the baby wouldn’t be born in some extreme way. He had never liked the idea of a test tube baby. It seemed to be such a cold way to brought into the world. He was a ninja, but he wasn’t heartless._

“ _Neji, Shikamaru, I’d like to introduce to you the woman who will officially be giving birth to your baby.”_

_Both nins froze in their spots as a young woman, not much older then themselves, bowed politely to them. She wasn’t a gorgeous young lady, but she wasn’t unappealing either. She was more a plain Jane, the Hyuuga supposed. She was, as he guessed, the donor for their child and he felt somewhat uncomfortable standing before her as the father of her future child. It was awkward looking at the woman who would nurse his child for the first part of its life._

“ _How do you do?” she smiled. “I’m Ayako, the egg donor for you future baby.”_

“ _It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Ayako,” Shikamaru nodded, having returned to his normal state of mind._

“ _Ayako is a civilian of Konoha,” Shikaku explained. “When she heard about the experiments the Nara labs wanted to try, she was eager to participate. She’s proven to be the best donor we could want for you kid. She’s got all submissive traits.”_

“ _In more then one way,” Ayako giggled, flipping her dark brown hair over her shoulder._

“ _We appreciate your willingness, Miss Ayako,” Neji stated, “but I’m curious as to why you would willingly part with…the baby?”_

“ _Please, simply call me Ayako,” the woman smiled. “As for why I’m doing this, there are…a couple reasons. The first being that I recently had a miscarriage and I’d…very much like to try again.”_

“ _The miscarriage wasn’t her fault in any way,” Shikaku added. “She was in an accident that caused the baby to be killed. Fortunately, nothing was damaged inside of her and she’s more then ready to have another baby.”_

“ _The second reason?” Neji asked, after having nodded to Shikaku’s explanation._

“ _I’m a lesbian,” Ayako replied. “As much as my partner and I want a child, we’re not willing to sleep with a random man to get one. She has very dominate traits and through the Nara labs, we’ve come to an agreement. If I have this baby for you two, she’ll have a baby for us when they find a man who has traits almost identical to my own. They’ve already found a donor and she’s…already pregnant with our baby. Now all that’s left is for me to have yours.”_

“ _So, are you two satisfied?” Shikaku asked, grinning._

_The older nin nodded, but Shikamaru paused, looking the woman in the eye. “You really won’t mind parting with the baby?”_

“ _Oh, I’m sure it’ll be a little hard, but with the fact that I’ll have a little baby with my partner, I’m sure I’ll manage,” Ayako smiled. “Besides, the baby will be going to a good home. I just know you two will be excellent parents. Perhaps our children could even play together. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go. They want to run some tests before…well, you know.”_

_The Hyuuga flushed slightly, but nodded, not wanting to think anymore on how they were going to impregnate the woman. “Thank you, Ayako.”_

“ _We really appreciate this,” the younger nin nodded, smiling._

_Ayako merely smiled. “It’s my pleasure.” With a wave, she was gone, following one of the scientists into another room._

“ _Any other questions?” Shikaku asked as they walked back to the front of the labs._

“ _Will our baby live with her when it’s born?” Neji asked. “I know it’ll need constant care, but…wouldn’t it be good for us to get the baby used to us?”_

“ _As part the test, any spare time you two have will be spent with the child,” the older Nara explained. “At least, that’s what they’d like. They understand with you two being ninja’s that you’ll have missions and that you have a duty as the Hokage’s bodyguards. Once the child can be weaned from Ayako’s milk, the baby will be turned over to your hands. Ayako’s only part in taking care of the baby will be to nurse it. It will have to live with her until it can be weaned though.”_

“ _How long will Ayako need to feed the baby?” Shikamaru asked._

“ _Six months, at the minimum,” Shikaku replied. “It took your mother a year before you were willing to shift to something else, kiddo. It all depends on the baby. More questions?”_

_After looking at each other, the couple shook their heads. “No, that covers everything for now.”_

“ _Well, then I’m heading home to your mother. You two have a pleasant evening.”_

Neji opened his eyes as the memory faded. Ayako had kept constant contact with them, letting them know of her daily activities and asking if there was anything they wanted to add to her routine. Neji had personally gone over the foods the woman was eating and earned a chuckle not only from his own spouse, but from Ayako’s partner, Sayuri. The Hyuuga became more relaxed as time went on, though he often wondered what nutrition his child was receiving.

“Shikamaru?”

“Yeah?”

The Hyuuga paused before continuing. “Do you…think we’ll make good parents?”

Blinking, the younger shinobi sat up and looked down at his lover. “Why are you asking that now?”

“I don’t…want to bring up the baby wrong,” Neji admitted softly, his eyes moving to stare at the floor. “I really didn’t have a role model after…my father died, so I feel like…”

“You’re going to fail in some areas of raising a kid?” Shikamaru finished, smiling when the Hyuuga merely nodded. “Neji, I’m sure you’ll be a great parent. We’ve got my parents watching over us and I’m sure that others will be more then willing to give us a hand when we need it.”

“I just don’t want to screw up,” the older nin stated softly.

“We won’t,” the Nara said, comforting his spouse. Pressing a gentle, yet loving kiss to the Hyuuga’s head, the younger nin pulled his lover closer to him. “We’ll be fantastic parents. Our kid will love you.”

Before Neji could argue or even begin a response, a knock at their door caught both of their attentions. Getting up from their couch, much to Shikamaru’s discontent, Neji made his way to the door, straightening his clothes as he went. He couldn’t even get out a proper greeting before their unexpected guest surprised them with some news.

“Ayako’s in labor!”

For a moment, both Shikamaru and Neji merely stared at Yoshino, who was panting from running from her house to theirs. She wasn’t a ninja, hadn’t ever been so the trek was far more time consuming for her. Once in clicked in their heads that Ayako was in labor with _their_ child, Neji’s eyes widened and his body began to shake. The time was here! Their baby was going to be born soon! The Hyuuga was frozen to his spot.

“Give us a minute mom and then we’ll be ready to go,” Shikamaru stated, gently pulling on his spouse’s arm. “Make yourself comfortable, k?” With that said, he pulled Neji away from the door and up to their room.

“I-It’s too soon!” the older nin gasped once they were alone. “Th-The baby wasn’t due till next week! What went wrong? Is the baby going to be okay?”

“Neji, calm down.” Pulling the Hyuuga close, Shikamaru held on tight as he gave his frightened lover what comfort he could. “It’s not unheard of for a baby to come before the due date. I’m sure our child will be just fine. You’ll see. Do you need a minute to calm down? We’ll go when you’re ready.”

The white eyed nin merely stood there for a moment, breathing deeply through his nose and enjoying the comfort of his spouse. Shikamaru was as cool as ice about the situation. Why was he panicking? Slowly, his tension ebbed away and his face was buried in his husband’s clothes. Shikamaru continued to merely hold him, whispered words of encouragement and love. Everything would be just fine. Their baby would survive and they’d make a happy family together.

“Ready?” the younger nin asked quietly, running his fingers through Neji’s hair.

Merely nodded, the Hyuuga stepped away and took a deep breath. Shikamaru grabbed jackets for both of them, as they would be walking to the labs with his mother, and twined their fingers together once both were ready. Smiling the Nara led his husband down the stairs and to the front door, where Yoshino stood impatiently, tapping her foot. When she realized they were ready, she threw open the door and walked out, practically scowling in their direction.

“Well, what are you waiting for?” she asked. “Teleport us to the lab with that jutsu of yours.”

Shikamaru blinked. “We’re not walking?”

Yoshino barely restrained herself from rolling her eyes. “We don’t have time for that! You’re baby is being born, Shikamaru!”

Shrugging off their jackets, the couple stepped outside, unsure of how to go about this. Groaning in frustration, the Nara woman wrapped her arms around her son and grumbled for him to be quick. Blinking for only a second, Shikamaru did as he was told, making the seals and disappearing in a wave of smoke. Neji took a moment after him to lock their door, make sure all the lights were out, and then proceeded to use the jutsu himself, shaking with nervousness and excitement.

Once outside of the labs, the couple was practically dragged through by Yoshino, the woman muttering about how they should have been there the minute Ayako was in labor. Of course, she had been the one to tell them the woman was in that state, but they didn’t bring it to her attention. They had both learned long ago that you did not interrupt the Nara woman when she was ranting. As annoying as it could be, you simply didn’t do it.

“That was faster then I expected, Yoshino.” Shikaku smirked as he walked up to the group.

“Humph,” the woman snorted. “They would have gotten here sooner if you would have just used one of those ninja bird things.”

“Well, they’re here and that’s what matters,” the elder Nara stated. “Glad to see the two of you.”

“How is Ayako?” Shikamaru asked, squeezing Neji’s hand in order to help calm the Hyuuga.

“Very good,” Shikaku answered. “She’s been in labor for about an hour. Obviously, we’re not sure how long it’ll take. There are some chairs set up near the room. Sayuri is sitting over there as well.”

Nodding their thanks, the couple did just that, finding the blonde woman sitting in one of the seats with a baby in her arms. She smiled when she noticed them. “You two got here quickly.”

“We came as soon as we knew,” Shikamaru stated.

“Is that…your child?” Neji asked, inching closer.

Sayuri nodded. “Her name is Maiko.”

“How old is she?” the Nara asked, leaning forward to get a good look at the little girl. She was very cute. Dark brown hair with bright blue eyes, a trait she no doubt got from her mother. They were almost identical in color.

“Almost two months,” Sayuri replied. “I would have introduced you to her sooner, but you two suddenly got busy with your jobs. I’m sure Ayako would have wanted the same.”

They fell into a comfortable silence, though Neji was tempted to get up and pace in front of the chairs. How long was a woman in labor? He hadn’t ever bothered to ask when he was younger and even now it seemed like a stupid question. Shikamaru did what he could to ease his lover’s tension, switching between massages and light kisses, chuckling when they would make the long haired man blush. Sayuri would merely pretend not to see, giving her attention to the baby in her arms.

Three hours later, a doctor came out of the room they had used for delivery and smiled, nodding his head. Neji gave a large sigh of relief, one he was sure that everyone in the room had heard. Shikamaru held him close and nuzzled his temple, pressing soft kisses to his forehead as Sayuri asked on the condition of her lover. Ayako was doing better then what had been expected and was currently resting in another room. Once she was given permission to see her, Sayuri had left, nodding farewell to the nins.

Turning to the couple still sitting in the chairs, the doctor smiled. “I’m sure you’re anxious. Come with me and we’ll go see the baby, hm?"

Nodding, the two got to their feet and followed after him. Neji was clutching nervously to his spouse’s hand, shaking in excitement and nervousness. Their baby was finally here! And on top of that, was alive! He had been so sure that something would go wrong and the child would have died during the delivery. The Nara merely pulled him close, knowing that Neji would probably end up with at least a few tears of joy running down his face by the end of the day.

Entering into a room that was as white as any hospital’s, the doctor directed the two of them to some chairs as if he knew Neji would need to sit. Not wasting any time, the white eyed nin did just that, sure that if he were to stand any longer, his legs would give out on him. Shikamaru merely stood by his side, squeezing and massaging his shoulders lightly, keeping the Hyuuga calm. Yet the excitement and nervousness in the room was practically palpable.

Instead of the doctor, Shikaku came out with a bundle in his arms, smiling. “Shikamaru, Neji, I’d like to introduce you to your baby boy.”

As the little body was placed in his arms, Neji could only stare at the child’s face. His baby! The baby both he and Shikamaru had worked on to make together! His voice was stuck in his throat as he held the precious life in his arms, unsure of what to say or do. Shifting the little boy to rest in one arm, he moved trembling fingers to touch a clean, tan cheek and move up into the surprisingly bountiful head of dark brown hair. Finally able to believe that this was real, Neji’s face split into a large smile.

“He’s beautiful, Neji,” Shikamaru stated softly, moving his own hand to run through that incredible amount of hair. “He already has hair like you.”

Neji laughed breathily. “He’s yours too. And his hair could very well lighten as he gets older. His skin color is definitely yours. His nose as well.”

“Can’t wait to see his eyes,” the younger nin smirked. “There will be no mistake who he got them from once we see them.”

“I hate to interrupt such a touching moment, but the little boy needs a name,” Shikaku asked. “Have you two decided on one yet.”

Shikamaru smiled. “Neji trusts me with the name. We’ll list him as a Nara too so the Hyuuga’s can’t possibly try to put a seal on his forehead. I won’t have that.”

“Neither will I,” the white eyed nin said firmly, taking his eyes off the baby in his arms for the first time since he had entered the room. “No child of mine will go through that.”

Smiling, Shikaku nodded. “We were hoping you two would say that. Come with me kiddo and we’ll give my grandson a name.” Placing a hand on his son’s shoulder, the pair walked out of the room, leaving Yoshino and Neji alone.

The Nara woman looked unsure as to what to do, so Neji smiled warmly at her. “Would you like to hold your grandson?”

Laughing nervously, the woman wandered over. “It’s strange to hear you say that, Neji. Though you have effectively quelled my fears of being rejected. I can’t believe I even have a grandchild. I wasn’t ever expecting one.”

“Neither were we,” the Hyuuga stated softly. Standing up as Yoshino sat down, Neji carefully placed his son in her arms. He couldn’t help but smile broadly at that thought. _His_ son.

Grinning, Yoshino poked the baby’s nose gently. “Definitely my son’s nose. No question there. I can only hope he won’t be as lazy as my troublesome little boy. He’ll be smart though. Especially with you two for parents. Oh, aren’t you just adorable? You’re going to grow up to be so big and strong, just like your daddies!”

The white eyed nin merely continued to watch as Yoshino continued to coo and coddle his baby, arms already itching to hold the child again. When the baby began to fuss, Yoshino ordered Neji to sit again and place the boy in his arms. Giving him some quick instruction on how to calm a fussy baby, Neji was surprised at how quickly the boy settled in his arms. He would have expected the child to be crying out for some milk, not a parent.

“Babies are special that way,” Yoshino grinned. “They seem to know who their parents are.”

Before Neji could respond to her remark, Shikamaru and Shikaku returned, the elder holding a piece of paper in his hands. The Hyuuga instantly recognized it as the birth certificate for the little boy in his arms. Still rocking slightly, the white eyed nin got to his feet walking over to his husband with a curious look in his eyes. Shikamaru merely smiled before extending his arms, taking the baby from his arms, smiling now that he was holding him at last.

“Would you like to see my son’s choice of name, Neji?” Shikaku asked, the natural teasing tone of his voice replaced with a more somber one.

“If only to make sure it isn’t horrendous,” the Hyuuga snorted, walking over and grabbing the certificate. His teasing smile faded as he read the name, his eyes glued to the artful way it was written. He couldn’t even begin to think of what he should say, any words he might have had stuck in his throat as the realization hit him. Blinking, he glanced at Shikamaru before staring back at the paper, unsure of how he was supposed to react.

Before he could really stop himself, tears crawled to Neji’s eyes and he placed a pale hand over his mouth. Smiling as he handed the boy to his parents, Shikamaru slowly made his way over to his lover, gently removing the certificate from his hands and placing it on a nearby table. Neji couldn’t stop himself from burying himself into the Nara’s arms, eyes squeezed tight as he held the younger nin to him, biting his lip to keep himself from crying.

“I’ll take it you like the name,” Shikamaru smiled. All he got for a reply was a sobbing laugh and a nod of the head. Pressing a soft, loving kiss to Neji’s head, the Nara slowly brought the tearful Hyuuga back over to where their son was, holding Neji close to him. It was, no doubt, one of the happiest days of their lives and even when the doctor came to take the child away couldn’t dampen their spirits. Even then, the white eyed nin would burst into tears of joy at random times.

Grinning to herself, Yoshino interrupted their moment. “Well, now I can finally send out those baby shower invitations. I hope the two of you are ready for it because I’m not letting you get away without one.”

Merely laughing, the couple agreed to the woman’s party. Nothing could destroy their excellent mood.


	12. Side Story 12 (Sasuke/Naruto, Shikamaru/Neji)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And it continues. haha I hope you'll enjoy reading this one as well!

“We’d like to introduce you to Nara Hizashi.”

Sasuke, like his lover, could only stare. Standing before the blonde’s desk stood Shikamaru and Neji, holding a _baby_ of all things, in their arms. If the two hadn’t been smiling so largely or happily, the raven would have thought it was a joke. But Neji merely stood there, holding the boy in the most caring manner possible, white eyes shining with pride. A pride that only a parent could hold in their eyes. There was no question that baby belonged to the two of them.

“Wha?” Naruto finally uttered, though it was a rather unintelligible reply.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. “This kid is our son, Hokage. We thought you might like to meet him.”

“B-but…how? When?” the blonde stammered, eyes glued to the little bundle in Neji’s arms.

The Nara grumbled. “Do you just sign the reports that come to your desk without reading them?”

Naruto flushed in embarrassment. “Only when there are a lot of them!”

Sasuke snorted. “More like all the time.”

“Teme!”

Sighing softly, Shikamaru left his spouse’s side and walked over to the filing cabinets in the adjoining closet, before returning with a file in his hands. Placing it on Naruto’s desk, he pushed it towards the blonde as Neji made his way up to his side. Glancing between the manila folder and the Nara, Naruto opened it and looked at the contents, giving it a very half hearted glance over. It wasn’t until he got further into the document that he realized what he was reading.

“So…you two were the homosexual couple that participated in this experiment?” Naruto asked, handing the report to Sasuke.

The Uchiha read over the reports contents as the Nara nodded. “If you had read the report when it was first issued and then aligned the timing up with when Neji and I asked for a vacation, you might have figured out it was us.”

“If anything,” Sasuke nodded, “the descriptions of the males in the experiment would have given some other hints towards them. You really should read these things, dobe.”

“Shut up,” Naruto grumbled.

“So nine months ago the two of you donated to this experiment,” the Uchiha said, ignoring the blonde’s outburst. “And that baby is the result?”

Neji nodded. “That’s right.”

“Why did you keep it a secret?” the raven asked.

The Hyuuga, uncharacteristically, flushed a little and glanced at his spouse. “We…wanted it to be a surprise. The only ones who knew about this were us and Shikamaru’s parents.”

“It’s a surprise alright,” Naruto huffed. “What about the mother?”

“She’ll be nursing Hizashi until he’s old enough to be weaned,” Shikamaru answered. “And before you jump to conclusions, she volunteered for the experiment. She knew what would be expected of her.”

Slowly, the Uchiha made his way over to the newborn, staring at the baby with sharp eyes. He was definitely the child of a Hyuuga, that was for sure. His white eyes had a very light blue shade to them and they practically sparkled with their newness. His hair was also very similar to Neji’s in color, but hair could definitely grow lighter. His skin tone, however, was very much like Shikamaru’s. He’d have to look over that report again to see how the child ended up looking more like the two of them.

Standing back up straight, Sasuke gave the couple a smile. “Congratulations. I’m glad that the experiment was a success. I’m sure he’ll bring you happiness.”

Neji smiled sincerely. “Thank you, Sasuke.”

Naruto was no longer pouting, a large grin back on his face. “Can I hold him?”

Nodding slowly, the Hyuuga made his way around the desk, placing the boy into the blonde’s arms. Naruto proved to be an excellent person with children, cooing and smiling at the baby as he bounced him. Hizashi merely continued to stare, his tiny arms moving sharply as he stared at the man holding him. When the blonde moved a finger towards his mouth, he almost instantly started to suckle, one hand instinctively grabbing on.

“You’re hands had better be clean,” Shikamaru glared.

Naruto rolled his eyes. “I washed them not even a few minutes ago. Relax. I wouldn’t put dirty fingers in a baby’s mouth. I’m not completely stupid.”

Sasuke, however, merely continued to watch as his lover interacted with the child, surprised at how…natural it seemed for the blonde. For a short moment, he imaged that the baby in Naruto’s arms had blonde hair, or even his own raven black. The idea immediately appealed to him. He found himself wishing that the baby was indeed his own. Shaking his head, Sasuke snorted. Him? Wanting a child of his own? That was just absurd!

“He’s so cute!” Naruto beamed. “I can’t wait to see him smile!”

Neji couldn’t stop himself from smiling. “We have to go now, Hokage, but I’m sure you’ll get a chance to see him more.”

“Aww,” the blonde pouted, carefully handing the boy back to the Hyuuga. “Who are you going to see next?”

Neji fidgeted in his spot. “My uncle. We’re hoping he…will accept him.”

“If they give you any trouble, let me know,” Naruto ordered. “I’ll beat them into accepting him.”

Shikamaru smirked. “If anyone could do it, it would be you. I’m sure we’ll be fine though. It’s the elders I’m concerned about. We’ll see the two of you later.”

Naruto waved as the couple left his office, beaming. “Cute kid. If he has traits from both families, he’ll make one hell of a ninja.”

Sasuke didn’t respond. He was lost in his own thoughts. Did he want a child? Of course he did! As much as he didn’t want an Uchiha to suffer the fate he had, he certainly didn’t like the idea of being the last Uchiha alive. With Madara and Itachi gone, he truly was the last. And things could be different, couldn’t they? After all, his ancestors had grown up disliking the first Hokage, wanting to have control of the village for himself. But that would be different, if he had children, wouldn’t it?

“Sasuke?”

Snapping out of his thoughts, the raven mentally cursed that he had been so lost in his own thoughts that he hadn’t noticed the blonde trying to get his attention for the last few minutes. Naruto had a concerned look in his eyes, one that Sasuke knew wouldn’t go away until he brushed it away. Smiling softly, he walked over to his lover and pressed a soft kiss to Naruto’s lips. Yes, he was on duty, but there was no one there and he really needed to comfort the blonde.

“Sorry,” he said softly. “I got lost in thought.”

Naruto’s eyes narrowed. “Which makes me even more concerned. I know you brood, but you never get that deep in your thoughts.”

“I assure you it’s nothing,” Sasuke mentioned, standing up straight and placing his mask back on. It was his way of saying he wouldn’t talk about the problem for a while.

Huffing, the blonde settled back in his chair. “This conversation is not over. Not by a long shot.”

“Hn.” The Uchiha’s eyes, however, were resting on the report sitting on Naruto’s desk. He’d have to read it later, to find out just how Neji and Shikamaru had done it, created a child of their own. Mentally shaking his head, Sasuke returned his focus to his current occupation, his job. He’d have plenty of time to read the report later. As much as he wanted to read it now, he knew that as Naruto’s bodyguard, he had a more important task to fulfill.

Of course, after he was done, that report would be as good as read.

~*~*~*~*~*~

_So that’s how it was done_. Sasuke was impressed. Taking a skill that Sakon and Ukon, one of Orochimaru’s many servants he had never met, could use and making it useful for this means. I made sense to him now. Find a female of very submissive traits, plant a seed in her full of two very dominate traits and the child would end up looking more like the dominate ones. Now he could see how it would work and how, in Shikamaru and Neji’s case, it had worked.

Placing the report back in the proper file, Sasuke quietly slipped the folder back into its place before shutting the filing cabinet, thankful that it didn’t make much noise as he did so. Heaven knows he didn’t want anyone to know he was here. He’d told his lover that he needed to go for a walk by himself, which he knew had upset Naruto even more, but he really did need to do this on his own. It was his problem and he would deal with it as such.

Slowly exiting the closet, Sasuke closed and locked the door before freezing in his spot. Spinning to the side, he mentally cursed himself for his lack of attention. He’d been so intent on reading that report that he hadn’t noticed his lover’s chakra signature, much less noticed that he was even in the room. Yet Naruto didn’t turn to face him, his back towards the Uchiha as he continued to stare outside the window behind his currently empty desk.

“You were reading that report, weren’t you?”

Naruto’s voice held no tone of unhappiness or even smugness. It was clear, concise, and, dare he say it, even emotionless. Standing up straight, Sasuke refused to look like a coward or even be shamed for being caught. His lover deserved that much from him.

“I was.”

“So? Did you like what you read?”

Arching a brow in confusing, the raven turned more fully towards his lover. “What do you mean?”

“Did you like the process? Did it bother you at all?”

“I don’t see why it would have bothered me,” the Uchiha said dismissively. “What are you trying to get at, dobe?”

“I saw that look in your eye, Sasuke,” Naruto responded softly, “when you were looking at the baby today. You want a kid of your own.”

The raven nearly flinched. Nearly. “Naruto, I-“

“It’s not surprising,” the blonde shrugged. “I mean, you went on for years of how you wanted to continue your bloodline and even after you outright told the elders you wouldn’t marry if you didn’t want to, I could see a longing in your eyes. A longing I couldn’t fill. I always feared that you would eventually leave me for a girl so you could create offspring and so on and so forth. Yet you never did. It made me love you all the more.”

Slowly, the raven made his way up to where the blonde stood, still only able to see his back in the darkness. It was nighttime after all. “Naruto?”

“I can…finally give you what you want, Sasuke.” The blonde’s voice was so soft, he almost didn’t hear it. “I can…finally give you a part of myself and we…we could have a kid together, just like Shikamaru and Neji.”

Sighing softly, the raven stepped behind his lover and wrapped his arms around his waist. “Naruto, I don’t even know if I really…want a child.”

The blonde snorted. “Of course you want one. It’s been your dream for years!”

“That’s not what I meant,” Sasuke retorted. “I’ve…always wondered if I had children if it would be subjecting someone down my line to the same fate that I suffered. I don’t know if I could live with that.”

“Sasuke, don’t you think that you’re putting too much on your own shoulders?” the blonde asked. “Think about it. Sure, it could happen again, but…things could be different this time. Your descendents wouldn’t have the discontent that your ancestors did. They’ll have been taught differently. It’s not like the first Hokage’s family is in charge of the village anymore. Besides, if…if you and I do this…wouldn’t it be as if they descended from a Hokage themselves?”

Stunned, the Uchiha mulled over his lover’s words. He definitely had a point. That’s the whole reason his ancestors were going to rebel, wasn’t it? Because they felt their family should have the place of the Hokage? But if he and Naruto had a child…that line could proudly say they descended from a Hokage. He hadn’t ever thought of it like that. Could he…possibly have a family? Could the Uchiha name live on through them, despite them both being male?

“Sasuke?”

Jumping back to the present, the raven looked down at his lover. Naruto was willing to do this so his family line could live on. But did the blonde himself want it? “I know you’re willing to do this for me, but…I don’t want to do it unless you want to.”

To his surprise, Naruto laughed. “Did you think I would come here and surprise you like this if I didn’t want it to happen myself? Honestly, Sasuke, I’m not _that_ selfless.”

Smirking, half in amusement, half in relief, the Uchiha turned the blonde to face him before pressing his lips to Naruto’s forehead. “Thank you, Naruto.”

Smiling, the Hokage merely looked up. “Well, do you think I’ll have to use my Hokage position to get them to accept our request?”

Sasuke snorted. “If you have to use that, I’ll simply threaten them with my Sharingan.”

Naruto rolled his eyes. “Oh, that’s a good way to prove you’re a great role model, teme.”

Merely smirking, the raven escorted his lover to their place, where he proceeded to make love to him for the rest of the night. Perhaps it wasn’t the best way to show his appreciation, but Naruto seemed to enjoy it. He certainly couldn’t think of any other way to share his thanks with the blonde except for buying him ramen. Perhaps he’d have to do that the next day too.

~*~*~*~*~*~

“We got a request from the Hokage today,” Shikamaru stated as he came in through the front door.

Neji looked up from their baby, blinking as his lover came to sit next to him. “Really?”

“Mmhmm,” the Nara grinned. “I’m sure you’ll never imagine what he asked of us.”

“Do you mean us as in the two of us? Or as in the Nara labs?” the white eyed nin asked, pressing a kiss to his husband’s jaw.

“The Nara labs,” Shikamaru clarified, returning the kiss in kind.

“Well, what did he ask of you boys then?” Neji asked, relaxing with Hizashi in his arms. He grinned as the little one grabbed his extended finger and immediately began to suckle on it, bringing a smile to Shikamaru’s face as well.

“Let’s just say you and I started a trend.”


	13. Side Story 13 (Shikamaru/Neji, Sasuke/Naruto)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so it comes to an end. I hope you all enjoyed these stories, despite how old they are. haha Thanks again for reading!

Neji was glad that the marketplace was closed now. His idea of a good time certainly didn’t consist of guiding two children through a full and busy marketplace. There were a few stragglers, but not nearly as many as during the day when all the shops were open. A small hand in each palm, Neji continued through the now empty street, nodding his head at those who would wave at him. They even stopped once when a man closing his shop gave his two children a little treat during their trip for free as he didn’t want them to spoil.

Needless to say, Hizashi and Emiko had been very happy with their dangos.

The Hyuuga smiled at his children as they continued on their trek. Two years after having Hizashi, Neji and Shikamaru had decided that they wanted to have a second child. They had been very fortunate to even have Hizashi, but if they could, they wanted a second. Little did they know there was just the right opportunity waiting for them. The scientists were always willing to gather more data on that certain experiment and eagerly accepted the idea.

Nine months later, Emiko had been born. She had been born far more quickly then Hizashi and like her brother, had a shockingly large amount of hair on her head. It was a lighter shade however, which was quickly associated with Shikamaru. Her skin was also a good dark tan, though her eyes were exactly like Neji’s and her brother’s. To Neji’s surprise she had weaned far more quickly then Hizashi had, being content to drink from a bottle in less then a year.

Emiko was almost exactly like Hinata in her younger days. Only Neji and Shikamaru made sure to tell her she was wonderful and loved everyday, despite the training she received. Neji would not have a repeat of what his cousin had been, the shy trembling teenager who could barely even speak to anyone. He loved Hinata with all his heart, but he would do what he could to give his daughter more confidence and love. Emiko still tended to be rather shy, but Neji let it pass for now as she was only two years old.

Hizashi, on the other hand, was as lazy as his father at times. Oh, he had energy and was more then willing to use it when it came to training and even doing a few other things, but would laze about doing nothing when he wasn’t doing either of those. He had a great thirst for knowledge and at the age of four was already beginning to be able to read fluently. He had begun to learn at an early age and as soon as he was able had picked up his first book and started sounding the words out. Little frustrated their boy from a task he gave himself.

“Papa, look! It’s grandpa!” Hizashi was tugging excitably on his hand, trying to get him to go faster.

Raising his eyes, Neji found Hiashi sitting not to far from them on a park bench. The elder Hyuuga had immediately adopted Hizashi and Emiko as his own grandchildren, ignoring the Hyuuga clan elders protest for not placing a mark on the children’s foreheads. It was obvious that they would be able to use the Byakugan, but under the Nara name there was no way they could touch the two and neither Hiashi or Neji would be cowed into placing the seal on the children’s heads.

“Grandpa! Grandpa!”

Hizashi immediately let go of Neji’s hand, running to the elderly man excitedly. Hiashi smiled when he realized who was coming his way and held out his hands to the four year old. He had been rather stunned to learn that the boy was named after his twin brother, but it made his bond all the more stronger with the child. Laughing softly, he lifted the boy onto his knee, hugging him close despite the sticky treat in his hands.

“Grandpa, guess what I learned about today!” the boy beamed, bouncing on the elder Hyuuga’s leg.

“Hm, I don’t know,” Hiashi grinned. “Why don’t you tell me?”

Hizashi did just that, telling him how he had read all he could on sedimentary rocks and how they were made. He continued on as Neji and Emiko made their way over. Neji waited till Hizashi was done talking, smiling at how excited the boy was the share the information he had learned. When Hiashi’s eyes turned to him, he bowed low in greeting, as was custom. There were some things that one simply couldn’t forget.

“Good afternoon, Neji,” Hiashi smiled. “Or should I say good evening? Is it that time?”

“I think afternoon is appropriate, uncle,” Neji nodded. “Emiko, do you want to say hello?”

The girl blushed slightly, but nodded, slowly walking forward to the man she called grandpa. Hiashi smiled as he brought her up to his other knee, grunting softly as he did so. “I’m getting too old for this. Hinata shared some exciting news with me today. They did some tests and found out that she’s going to have a girl.”

Neji’s eyes widened. “Really? How exciting. Emiko will have someone to play with then as they grow older.”

Hiashi nodded, grinning as the two on his knees began to lick their fingers clean. “Messy children. What is your father giving you?”

“Papa didn’t give it to us,” Hizashi said in a matter of fact tone. “The nice man in the street did.”

At Hiashi’s raised eyebrow Neji explained the vendor getting rid of things that would go to waste, earning an approving nod from his uncle. Neji joined his uncle on the bench, taking Hizashi onto his lap once he was settled. The two talked about many things, such as Hanabi’s wedding engagement, Hinata’s unborn child, and the Hyuuga elders. The last was talked about in hushed tones and Neji knew the man was growing weary with those that were left alive.

“It won’t be long until I’m one of them,” Hiashi sighed sadly. “You’ll be sure to correct me if I ever become like them, won’t you?”

Neji smiled sympathetically. “I don’t know if would have the guts to do so, uncle.”

“Then maybe my grandchildren could do that for me,” Hiashi laughed, which got him two sticky hands on his cheeks as Emiko played with his whiskers.

After the older Hyuuga helped his grandchildren clean off their hands, as well as his own face, he earned himself a kiss from Emiko, who blushed and ran to her father’s side shortly after having done so. Both adults merely chuckled softly as Hizashi gave his grandpa a large hug around the legs. Once they had all bowed politely, they left, the children waving as they walked away. Now that they were clean, Neji wasn’t afraid to grab their hands again.

After a little longer more, Neji came to the Uchiha district. Walking underneath the restored arch, he made his way to the home Naruto and Sasuke had inhabited - the one the Uchiha had grown up in. The Hokage and his lover had decided that it would be the most suitable of all the homes and all things that had to deal with bad memories were quickly removed. The Hokage had quickly explained that he would not allow his lover to brood while they lived together.

9 months after Hizashi had been born, the Uchiha had gained a set of twins, something that neither he nor Naruto had been expecting. There was one boy and one girl and though twins they looked nothing alike. The girl, Kiyomi, had Naruto’s blonde hair, though her skin was as fair as Sasuke. She also had the dark Uchiha eyes, which Sasuke had expected. Traces of the Sharingan were already showing and her spirit was strong.

The boy Tadashi, however, had shocked both men to the core. His hair was raven black, like Sasuke and his skin fair. But his eyes were the brilliant blue of Naruto and at the age of one he had shown signs of the Sharingan as well. This puzzled anyone who tried to explain it, but there was no way of knowing if this would affect the boy’s abilities with the bloodline trait. Only time would tell and as soon as they were in the ninja academy, both Naruto and Sasuke would be doing everything they could to help both their children progress.

As they drew closer to Naruto’s home, Neji wasn’t surprised to feel a pair of chakra signatures, who were obviously trying to hide themselves. Hizashi, no doubt, didn’t notice them, and considering how old he was it wasn’t a surprise. The Hyuuga merely continued to trek with his children, knowing that Kiyomi and Tadashi would want to try and ambush at least Hizashi. As he expected, two play kunai shot out from behind one of the houses, followed by some plastic toy shuriken.

He smirked. Only ninjas would give their children such toys.

Hizashi proved to be quick on his toes however. He easily dodged the kunai and like Neji had taught him, used the Hyuuga fighting style to block the shuriken with ease. It made the Hyuuga proud to see this and Emiko stared in awe at her sibling. Hizashi merely puffed out his chest when Kiyomi and Tadashi revealed themselves, giggling and laughing as they ran up to the four year old. Even though he was only nine months older, they still looked up to him.

“Wow, where did you learn to do that?” Kiyomi asked, his dark eyes wide with awe.

“Papa taught me,” Hizashi grinned. “I learned it last week!”

“Cool! Can you teach me how to do that?” Tadashi asked, smiling largely.

Neji watched as his oldest shook his head. “Nope. It’s a family secret. I can’t tell you.”

“Aw, come on!” Kiyomi pleaded as they continued towards their house. “I won’t tell! Promise!”

“Now, Kiyomi, it wouldn’t be a secret if he told you and ninjas have very good ears. Someone could spread the news around the village.” Naruto smiled at his daughter as he opened the door to let them all in. “Besides, your father said he’d teach you some stuff when he gets home from his mission.”

“Oh yeah!” the blonde girl grinned. “I can’t wait!”

“She’s definitely got your spirit for training,” Neji smirked, bowing his head politely as they entered.

The Hokage beamed. “What would you expect? She’s my kid! Tadashi is just as eager to train. He’s just less vocal about it.”

The Hyuuga smiled. “At least we know our children will make good teammates for the future, right?” He watched as Tadashi and Hizashi ran towards the living room, Emiko shyly following Kiyomi as they walked in the same direction. Despite his daughter’s shyness, Kiyomi had turned out to be an excellent friend for her, taking her shyness in her stride and becoming the two years olds fondest friend. Even if she didn’t do much talking.

Naruto nodded. “Well, dinner’s almost ready. I just have to finish up a few things.”

“Shall I help you?” Neji asked.

“Nah, it’s really a one person job,” the blonde shrugged. “Besides, Sasuke will get home soon, which means Shikamaru will be too.”

The Hyuuga nodded. “That’s right. He said he’d join us as soon as he cleaned himself up.”

The two adults continued to chat as their children played on the floor. Naruto, indeed, did have most of the dinner done and by the time Neji had gotten all the children in their seats, the blonde was carrying stuff over and setting it on the table. Taking a seat by his daughter, who was thankfully on a booster seat, Neji made sure that Hizashi was going to behave at the table before relaxing into his seat. Being a parent was a lot of work.

“Kiyomi! Don’t eat before anyone else,” Naruto scowled, lightly smacking his daughter’s hand. The blonde girl merely scowled in return, sticking out her tongue as she rubbed her ‘wounded’ hand. Once the Hokage had settled himself in his seat, dinner began, the adults scoping up their children’s dishes before getting their own. Once the kids were happily eating their food, Neji and Naruto served themselves, only to pause before they actually started.

“They’re back,” Naruto smiled.

Almost right on cue, Sasuke walked into the room, smirking when a chorus of “Daddy!” met his ears. Chuckling softly, he bent down and pressed kisses to his children’s foreheads before ushering them back to their seats. When they were once again paying attention to their food, he took his spot next to Naruto, smiling as he did so. Neji continued to watch over his own children, making sure they weren’t being too messy. He could only be grateful that Naruto had had a bib for his daughter.

A small grin crawled on Neji’s face when a familiar chakra signature came closer. Leaning his head back, he wasn’t surprised to find a pair of lips pressing against his own. Shikamaru smiled as he pulled away, ruffling Hizashi’s hair before sitting down himself. The four year old and groaned and grabbed his head, pouting when his father merely chuckled. Emiko grinned happily as he sat before turning her eyes back to her food.

“Thanks for having us over for dinner,” the Nara stated.

“It gives our children a chance to bond,” Naruto shrugged. “Besides, when was the last time we had dinner together?”

Neji flushed deeply, glowering at his spouse when Shikamaru and Sasuke began to snicker. If he had thought the roast incident had been bad, nothing could have prepared him for the last meal they had shared together. Not only had the Nara spiked their drinks with an aphrodisiac, but Hizashi had thrown up on Sasuke’s lap, which later turned out to be the flu. The Hyuuga had never been so embarrassed in his life, despite how wonderful the sex that evening had been.

“So, how’d the mission go?” the blonde asked, doing his best not to join the others in their amusement.

“You’ll get a full report tomorrow, dobe,” the Uchiha replied. “Not that you’ll read it.”

“Teme,” Naruto hissed, before covered his mouth. Flushing slightly he turned to his children. “Don’t you ever repeat that word, understand?”

Neji had to admit he was impressed. If that was the first slip Naruto or Sasuke had made around their children, it was certainly admirable. Kiyomi and Tadashi merely nodded, though a mischievous twinkle sparkled in their eyes. Hizashi looked as if he wanted to ask what the word had meant, but after receiving a level stare from Shikamaru, he gave up the question. For the time being anyway. Neji was sure he’d be asking about it later.

Once the meal was finished and cleaned up, the children returned to their games on the floor. Neji was about to go sit on the couch when Shikamaru pulled him closer and immediately began to smother his neck with kisses. The Hyuuga flushed a dark red, though didn’t do anything to break away. His face only went darker when Naruto’s snicker reached his ears. Only then did he start to pull away, grumbling about the Nara being too clingy.

Shikamaru smirked and leaned closer to his ear. “I thought you liked it when I’m…clingy.”

The white eyed nin bit his lip to stop any noises when he felt his husband thrust against him. Turning to face the other, he glared. “Not here!”

“What if I told you that I got us some alone time right now?” the Nara asked, glancing over at Sasuke, who merely nodded in reply. “They’ll watch the kids for us for a little while.”

“But-“

“Dad! Leave papa alone! You’re doing gross stuff again!”

Turning, the pair looked at their oldest child, who had a grimace of disgust on his face. Smirking, Shikamaru suddenly dipped his spouse before planting a passionate, yet chaste kiss on Neji’s lips. Trying not to giggle, Neji returned the action, breaking into a soft fit of laughter when Hizashi’s disgusted noises reached his ears. Emiko looked as if she simply didn’t understand what was going on, though Kiyomi and Tadashi looked intrigued.

“Wow,” the blonde girl stated. “Daddy, how come you never kiss papa like that?”

“Because papa doesn’t like to be dipped,” Sasuke replied evenly, earning a squawk from his blonde lover. “You two go and have fun. We’ll keep an eye on your kids. Take your time.”

Shikamaru merely nodded his thanks before he made the seals for the proper jutsu. The next thing Neji knew they were in their bedroom. Scowling at his husband, Neji tried to put his hands on his hips, though his arms were locked to his sides. He settled simply for a light glare. “You shouldn’t have asked them to do that.”

The Nara sighed before nuzzling his lover’s cheek. “Neji, when was the last time you and I made love?”

Blushing, the white eyed nin tried to push away again. “Th-That’s not the point, Shikamaru!”

“Please, koi?” the younger nin pleaded, lettings his hands start to rub over his spouse’s arms. “I’ve wanted this for a while. I miss it.”

Neji’s eyes fluttered as the other’s attentions continued. He had always been weak to Shikamaru’s pleas. Finally he nodded his head. “B-but we can’t take long. We have to get the kids before-“

Huffing, the Nara pulled away and looked in his lover’s eyes. “Forget the kids for the moment, okay? Let me worry about the time. Now strip and get on the bed. I’m very anxious to ravish the body of yours. I haven’t had the chance to properly do that in a while.”

Letting a shiver race down his spine, the older nin snickered. “Eager?”

Shikamaru raised a brow before he cupped Neji’s groin, massaging the other member and sac, pulling a sharp gasp from the Hyuuga’s lips. “What do you think?”

After that, Neji was only able to moan and cry out in pleasure, enjoying the night just as much as his spouse. He was even lucky enough to have the other’s shadows once again join the party, which only added to the height of the moment. He hadn’t had a love making session like this in at least a year. He was suddenly very glad that his husband had decided to ask the Uchiha to watch their children. They’d have to make sure and return the favor soon.

As they lay in their bed after the afterglow, Neji had to bite down the urge to glance at the clock. He could trust his lover on this, just as he had before. Settling in closer, he nuzzled the warm body next to him, smiling when tan arms wrapped around him. This had made the entire moment worth it. Yes, he and Shikamaru still cuddled in bed, but it had been while since they had done so with the after glow of a good round of sex.

“Feeling content?” Neji asked, tilting his head upwards.

Shikamaru shrugged. “I don’t know. Doing this made me realize what I’m missing out on all the time.”

The Hyuuga rolled his eyes. “Well, just appreciate the fact that you got to do it.”

Smiling, the younger nin wiggled downwards till he was face to face with his lover. “You’re so easy to tease. We’ll go get the kids in fifteen minutes, okay? I just want to stay like this with you for a little while longer.”

Sighing softly, Neji shook his head. “Damn, lazy Nara.”

“Uptight Hyuuga.”

“You wouldn’t have me any other way.”

A soft kiss to his lips was Shikamaru’s reply. “No, I wouldn’t. Not shut up and let me rest.”

They ended up lying there for more then fifteen minutes, but for them it was worth it. Their children were ready for bed by the time they returned home and once asleep, the two fell back into their own bed. Neji snuggled closer once they were comfortable and couldn’t help but think how fortune had blessed him. It had given him trials and through time he could finally see how those played out in his life. Grinning when Shikamaru gently kissed his forehead, Neji could easily say that he was content.

This was all he needed.

~End~


End file.
